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Skilled Trades

Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.

Median salary (BLS)

$42,770

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$31k – $58k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

    Entry / Junior

    $30,890

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

    Established

    $42,770

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

    Senior

    $50,470

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.
  • •Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.
  • •Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.
  • •Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
  • •Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.