Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Average base salary, Kansas
$44,500 / year
≈ $3,700 per month · $21.39 per hour
BLS May 2025 state data for Kansas · median $45,000
25th percentile
$36,500Average
$44,50075th percentile
$50,500
$36,500Average
$44,50075th percentile
$50,500
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.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by state
Alabama$40,000
Arizona$44,000
Arkansas$41,000
California$48,000
Colorado$48,500
Connecticut$48,500
Florida$43,500
Georgia$41,500
Idaho$47,500
Illinois$45,000
Indiana$45,000
Iowa$53,500
Kansas$44,500
Kentucky$41,000
Louisiana$50,000
Maine$46,500
Maryland$49,000
Massachusetts$48,000
Michigan$48,000
Minnesota$54,500
Mississippi$43,000
Missouri$43,000
Montana$46,000
Nebraska$48,500
Nevada$44,000
New Hampshire$50,000
New Jersey$55,000
New Mexico$43,500
New York$49,000
North Carolina$40,500
North Dakota$46,000
Ohio$45,500
Oklahoma$40,500
Oregon$52,500
Pennsylvania$47,000
Rhode Island$46,500
South Carolina$44,000
South Dakota$44,000
Tennessee$37,500
Texas$36,500
Utah$43,500
Vermont$48,500
Virginia$42,500
Washington$55,000
West Virginia$41,000
Wisconsin$45,000
Wyoming$40,500
About this role
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawings do
Typical education: High School Diploma
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.
- Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
- Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.
Top skills: Operations Monitoring Operation and Control Quality Control Analysis Monitoring Troubleshooting Speaking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay by experience level
Entry level$33,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$38,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$45,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$50,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$59,000
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
-1.8%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
6,400
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by industry
Wood Product Manufacturing
38,360 workers
$45,000Other Wood Product Manufacturing
25,280 workers
$44,500Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing
14,590 workers
$46,500Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)
14,580 workers
$46,500Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing
7,690 workers
$45,500Sawmills and Wood Preservation
5,390 workers
$46,000Administrative and Support Services
2,470 workers
$38,500Employment Services
2,470 workers
$38,500Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods
2,240 workers
$44,500Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only)
2,100 workers
$44,500National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pays 20% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Similar-paying roles in Production
Food Batchmaker$45,500
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand$42,500
Careers related to Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing make?
The average base salary for a Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing in the United States is $45,000 per year, or about $21.63 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $38,500 and $50,500 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.
Put this data to work
Need Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 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.
Request an analysisWant to see what this salary looks like after taxes? Estimate your take-home pay →
