Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.
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What Do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Take On?
The core tasks performed by sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood cover:
- Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.
- Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.
- Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.
- Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
- Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.
- Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation.
- Sharpen blades, or replace defective or worn blades or bands, using hand tools.
- Guide workpieces against saws, saw over workpieces by hand, or operate automatic feeding devices to guide cuts.
Skills and Knowledge
Effective sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Automatic Bandsaw Tender
- Automatic Edger
- Automatic Log Cut-Off Sawyer
- Backup Sawyer
- Band Saw Operator
- Band Saw Runner
- Band Sawyer
- Band Scroll Saw Operator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 98,686 sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +8.4% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $67,957 |
| Hourly median | $32.67 |
| 10th percentile | $39,766 |
| 25th percentile | $53,861 |
| 75th percentile | $82,052 |
| 90th percentile | $96,148 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $49,660 |
| Montana | $48,950 |
| Minnesota | $48,930 |
| Washington | $48,830 |
| Idaho | $48,630 |
| Iowa | $47,740 |
| Illinois | $47,730 |
| Massachusetts | $47,430 |
| Colorado | $46,550 |
| California | $45,540 |
| Vermont | $44,920 |
| Ohio | $44,710 |
| Alaska | $44,390 |
| Nebraska | $43,800 |
| Wisconsin | $43,190 |
| Louisiana | $43,140 |
| Maine | $42,900 |
| Connecticut | $42,870 |
| Arizona | $42,810 |
| New Hampshire | $42,750 |
| Wyoming | $42,680 |
| New York | $42,370 |
| New Jersey | $41,860 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,980 |
| Delaware | $40,580 |
| South Carolina | $40,210 |
| Michigan | $39,940 |
| Indiana | $39,470 |
| Missouri | $38,610 |
| Georgia | $38,370 |
| Utah | $38,170 |
| South Dakota | $38,100 |
| Florida | $37,800 |
| Alabama | $37,550 |
| Kansas | $37,350 |
| Tennessee | $36,950 |
| Texas | $36,520 |
| Arkansas | $36,120 |
| North Carolina | $36,060 |
| Kentucky | $35,750 |
| Virginia | $35,730 |
| Mississippi | $35,690 |
| Oklahoma | $34,330 |
| Nevada | $32,970 |
| West Virginia | $28,660 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $47,429 | 14.6% | 1.77 |
| Rocky Mountains | $46,092 | 3.3% | 1.57 |
| New England | $43,356 | 3.1% | 2.80 |
| Plains States | $42,561 | 7.2% | 1.32 |
| Great Lakes | $42,557 | 18.2% | 1.51 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,214 | 8.1% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $37,175 | 5.6% | 0.48 |
| Southeast | $36,700 | 39.9% | 2.44 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missoula, MT | MT | $53,750 | 40 |
| Albany, OR | OR | $51,410 | 120 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $51,000 | 90 |
| Montgomery, AL | AL | $50,690 | 70 |
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $50,480 | 270 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $50,210 | 60 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $50,060 | 340 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | WA | $49,830 | 140 |
Top Industries Employing Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
Most sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 36,850 | $39,780 |
| Wholesale Trade | 3,370 | $42,340 |
| Retail Trade | 1,090 | $42,380 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 810 | $34,610 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 460 | $46,500 |
| Construction | 200 | $53,330 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 150 | $40,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 70 | $44,210 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The on-the-job environment of sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How to Become Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
Most sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-7041.00 (Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood).
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