What do 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.

Also known as:

Boring Machine Operator, Cabinet Maker, Grader, Knot Saw Operator, Laminator, Lathe Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Sander, Machine Setter, Molder Operator, Planer Operator, Router Operator, Sander, Sander Operator, Tenon Operator

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing is projected to grow 7 percent from 2020 to 2030, about as fast as average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • 7%

    Change

    Ranks #37 in job growth rate
    390

    Job Openings

    Ranks #8 in net job growth

Best colleges for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Search

Colleges with the most graduates that become Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Search

Looking for colleges that offer a specific major? Use the College Match Tool to find your best-matched schools and discover your estimated Net Price!

Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (1%)
  • Master's degree  (<1%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (2%)
  • Associate's degree  (5%)
  • Some college, no degree  (19%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (48%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (26%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

Select Type of Degree:

★ There are no majors that have graduates with this degree type

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Operate woodworking equipment.
  • Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Conduct test runs of production equipment.
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
  • Inspect lumber or raw woodstock.
  • Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications.
  • Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
  • Determine production equipment settings.
  • Select production input materials.
  • Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
  • Maneuver workpieces in equipment during production.
  • Select production equipment according to product specifications.
  • Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment.
  • Replace worn equipment components.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
  • Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
  • Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
  • Inspect production equipment.
  • Clean work areas.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Maintain production or processing equipment.
  • Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
  • Trim excess material from workpieces.
  • Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
  • Program equipment to perform production tasks.
  • Lubricate production equipment.
  • Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
  • Sharpen cutting or grinding tools.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.

College Raptor Loading Screen College Raptor Loading Screen