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Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $43,380 Median per year · $20.86/hr Most earn $32,110–$56,830

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Unclamp workpieces and remove them from machines.
  • Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations.
  • Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation.
  • Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools.
  • Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards.

Job outlook

United States
3% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 5,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Other wood product manufacturing40.8%
  • Furniture and related product manufacturing23.8%
  • Veneer, plywood, and engineered wood product manufacturing12.7%
  • Sawmills and wood preservation8.9%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods3.5%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 3 to 6 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 3 to 6 monthsEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people can start right after high school, and they usually spend a few months learning the machines on the job before they feel fully comfortable running them.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish school with shop, woodworking, or math classes, which build the measuring and machine-safety habits this job needs.

  2. Production Helper in a woodworking or cabinet shop

    3-6 months

    Start by moving lumber, loading materials, and watching experienced operators set up machines, so you learn the basics and shop safety.

  3. Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

    Ongoing

    Set up and run machines like routers, planers, and drill presses, and check that the finished pieces meet the job's measurements.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Woodworker

    2-4 years of experience first

    You take charge of a small group on the shop floor, help train new operators, and solve setup problems when machines are not working right.

  2. Milling and Planing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender (metal and plastic)

    2-4 years of experience first

    You can move into metal and plastic machining, which uses similar setup skills but works with different materials and tooling.

  3. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You plan the work schedule, manage a team of machine operators, and track quality and output for the whole production area.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take woodshop or industrial arts classesHands-on shop time teaches you how to read plans, measure accurately, and use common woodworking tools safely.
  • Take math classes, especially geometry and measurementSetting up machines means working with exact measurements, angles, and tolerances, so strong math skills help a lot.
  • Join a Career and Technical Education (CTE) or shop-related clubClubs like these often include projects and competitions that show employers you can work carefully with tools.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job at a lumber yard, cabinet shop, or furniture makerEven basic helper work teaches you shop routines, safety habits, and how a production floor runs.
  • Take an introductory computer or coding classMany woodworking machines are computer-controlled, so being comfortable with a computer is a useful head start.

In college

  • Take a CNC or manufacturing technology course at a community collegeShort technical courses teach computer-controlled machine programming and setup, which many shops now expect.
  • Work a part-time job in a woodworking or manufacturing shopCampus or nearby shop jobs give you real machine experience and can count toward the few months of prior work that employers often want.
  • Earn a safety or machine-operation certificate if your school offers oneA recognized safety credential shows employers you already know how to work around machines responsibly.
  • Join a woodworking or maker club on campusClub projects help you practice measuring, finishing, and using power tools with other people.
  • Build a small portfolio of your shop projectsPhotos and notes of pieces you made show employers what you can build and how carefully you work.

Tips for getting started

  • Take any woodshop, drafting, or basic computer class you can. Many shops now use computer-controlled (CNC) machines, so being comfortable with a computer helps.
  • Ask a local cabinet shop, furniture maker, or lumber yard whether they hire part-time or summer helpers. Even a few months of shop experience makes you a stronger candidate.
  • Learn shop safety well from the start. Good safety habits matter a lot on machines and are something employers look for right away.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Woodworking Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $24,988 a year

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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