Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing fall under the Production category in the U.S. occupational classification. Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing earn a median salary of $40,440 per year, ranking in the top 84% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -1.8% job growth through 2034, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Entry into this field typically requires an apprenticeship, technical certification, or postsecondary training, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.

What do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing earn?

The median annual wage for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing is $40,440. That puts woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing at #681 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.

Is woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing a growing career?

The 10-year outlook for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing is -1.8%, projected to lose jobs through 2034. Employment is projected to move from approximately 63K positions in 2024 to 61K in 2034, a net change of -2K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.

What do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing do every day?

According to O*NET task surveys of working woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.

1. 1.Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
2. 2.Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
3. 3.Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
4. 4.Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
5. 5.Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms.
6. 6.Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines.
7. 7.Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
8. 8.Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.

Top skills for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.

What education does my child need to become woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing?

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing typically enter the field through a formal apprenticeship, technical certification, or vocational training program — a strong fit for teens who prefer hands-on learning over traditional college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.

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Common questions parents ask about woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing