Is this a competitive Woodworking Machine Setters salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$32K
P25$37K
P50$43K
P75$49K
P90$57K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
→
Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $43,389 to $48,714 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Woodworking Machine Setters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 7.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 1.8 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.
The national median salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is $43,389 per year ($20.86/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $37,107 and $48,714 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $56,826 per year. There are approximately 61,420 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Workers who primarily program or operate CNC equipment are classified in “Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers” (51-9160).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-1.8%
Slower than average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
63K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Other Wood Product Manufacturing
NAICS 321900
25K
$40,970
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)
NAICS 3370A1
15K
$45,450
Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing
NAICS 321200
8K
$44,200
Sawmills and Wood Preservation
NAICS 321100
5K
$45,790
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
2K
$37,040
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,040 to $45,790 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.44
$32,115
P25
$17.84
$37,107
P50MEDIAN
$20.86
$43,389
P75
$23.42
$48,714
P90
$27.32
$56,826
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%
Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary?
The national median salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is $43,389 per year ($20.86/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $37,107 and $48,714 annually.
How much do top-earning woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing make?
The 90th percentile salary for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is $56,826 per year ($27.32/hr). The 75th percentile is $48,714 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing?
Entry-level Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (10th percentile) earn approximately $32,115 per year ($15.44/hr). The 25th percentile is $37,107 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
