What Do Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender Do?
Job Description & Duties Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate CNC equipment.
What Do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do On a Daily Basis?
- Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
- Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations.
- Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together, or to press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces.
- Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
- Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.
- Inspect pulleys, drive belts, guards, or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely.
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What a Woodworking Machine Operator Should Know
These are the skills Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Types of Woodworking Machine Operator Jobs
- Rail Bender
- Barrel Lathe Operator
- Wood Milling Machine Hand
- Wood Handler
- Rafter Cutting Machine Operator
Job Opportunities for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
There were about 77,100 jobs for Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender. There will be an estimated 8,400 positions for Woodworking Machine Operator per year.

The states with the most job growth for Woodworking Machine Operator are Utah, Florida, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Kansas, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Woodworking Machine Operator
The salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ranges between about $20,870 and $44,420 a year.

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders who work in Wyoming, Connecticut, or Nevada, make the highest salaries.
How much do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $28,600 |
Alaska | $36,660 |
Arizona | $27,500 |
Arkansas | $28,110 |
California | $32,360 |
Colorado | $37,050 |
Connecticut | $40,440 |
Florida | $29,150 |
Georgia | $27,650 |
Hawaii | $36,070 |
Idaho | $33,350 |
Illinois | $33,310 |
Indiana | $31,140 |
Iowa | $33,680 |
Kansas | $32,160 |
Kentucky | $27,700 |
Louisiana | $31,570 |
Maine | $30,240 |
Maryland | $32,160 |
Massachusetts | $37,660 |
Michigan | $30,870 |
Minnesota | $36,320 |
Mississippi | $29,660 |
Missouri | $28,940 |
Montana | $34,530 |
Nebraska | $30,160 |
Nevada | $38,300 |
New Hampshire | $35,240 |
New Jersey | $33,090 |
New Mexico | $36,440 |
New York | $35,300 |
North Carolina | $29,630 |
North Dakota | $33,570 |
Ohio | $31,500 |
Oklahoma | $31,190 |
Oregon | $35,950 |
Pennsylvania | $33,220 |
Rhode Island | $32,730 |
South Carolina | $29,360 |
South Dakota | $29,800 |
Tennessee | $28,800 |
Texas | $26,790 |
Utah | $31,160 |
Vermont | $31,650 |
Virginia | $28,730 |
Washington | $35,530 |
West Virginia | $29,430 |
Wisconsin | $31,510 |
Wyoming | $41,170 |
What Tools do Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- YouTube
- Apple macOS
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite
- Computer aided design and drafting CADD software
Becoming a Woodworking Machine Operator
Education needed to be a Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender:

How Long Does it Take to Become a Woodworking Machine Operator?

Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Are you already one of the many Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Sadie Colbert via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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