Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by state
What Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Review work orders, blueprints, specifications, or job samples to determine components, settings, and adjustments for cutting and slicing machines.
Examine, measure, and weigh materials or products to verify conformance to specifications, using measuring devices, such as rulers, micrometers, or scales.
Press buttons, pull levers, or depress pedals to start and operate cutting and slicing machines.
Start machines to verify setups, and make any necessary adjustments.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringReading ComprehensionTroubleshooting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$37,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$41,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$48,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$55,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$63,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
-2.3%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
5,300
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by industry
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
9,520 workers
$49,500
Paper Manufacturing
9,490 workers
$54,500
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
8,720 workers
$54,500
Food Manufacturing
4,510 workers
$46,000
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing
4,490 workers
$45,500
Printing and Related Support Activities
4,100 workers
$48,500
Printing and Related Support Activities
4,100 workers
$48,500
Plastics Product Manufacturing
2,730 workers
$45,500
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
2,650 workers
$45,500
Rubber Product Manufacturing
1,760 workers
$46,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pays 13% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
The average base salary for a Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the United States is $49,000 per year, or about $23.56 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $41,000 and $55,500 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $56,000 across 112 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
