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Skilled Trades

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. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.

Median salary (BLS)

$43,380

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$32k – $57k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

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 "Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing" — 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 Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

    Entry / Junior

    $32,110

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

    Established

    $43,380

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

    Senior

    $50,105

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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