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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

$40,440

Typical range

$31k – $54k

Job outlook

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

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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Typical progression

  1. Junior Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

    Entry / Junior

    $30,920

    ~2 yrs to advance

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

    Established

    $40,440

    ~3 yrs to advance

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

    Senior

    $47,390

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

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