SOC 51-7042.00

    Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

    Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines.

    Median pay
    $43,380
    Growth
    -2.5%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    5,300
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $32,110
    Median
    $43,380
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $56,830
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    61,420 people work in this occupation.

    What woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    23 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    2 / 100
    Social (S)
    3 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    52 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Controlling Machines and Processes
    75
    Handling and Moving Objects
    73
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    70
    Getting Information
    65
    Performing General Physical Activities
    63
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    60
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    56
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    54
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    51
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    51
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Monitoring
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Speaking
    • Troubleshooting
    • Active Listening
    • Equipment Selection

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • Production and Processing
    • Mathematics
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Building and Construction
    • Education and Training
    • Design
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Transportation

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Reaction Time
    • Control Precision
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Static Strength
    • Trunk Strength
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Adzing and Boring Machine Operator · Artificial Log Machine Operator · Automatic Clipper · Automatic Nailing Machine Operator · Automatic Profile Shaper Operator · Balloon Sander · Band Nailer · Bander · Barker Operator · Barrel Builder

    Career pathway

    From your interests to woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Rhode Island School of Design RISD logo
      Rhode Island School of Design RISD

      Providence, RI · Woodworking · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $37,055
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Cabinetmaking and Millwork
    • Woodworking, General

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.