How to become a sawing machine setter, operators, and tenders, wood

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

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood do

• 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.
• Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation.
• Sharpen blades, or replace defective or worn blades or bands, using hand tools.
• Clear machine jams, using hand tools.

Skills that matter most

• Critical Thinking
• Monitoring
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Learning
• Mathematics
• Learning Strategies

Is sawing machine setter, operators, and tenders, wood a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 16% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Alaska $52,680
• Washington $51,940
• Minnesota $51,330
• Connecticut $51,150
• Oregon $49,740

Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.