Production
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Also called: Boring Machine Operator, Cabinet Maker, Knot Saw Operator, Lathe Operator
US median pay
$43,380
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-2.5%
declining
Openings a year (US)
5,300
60,900 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to 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.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules.
- Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools.
- Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
- Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Operation and Control3.5/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.2/5
- Troubleshooting3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.0/5
- Repairing2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9/5
- Equipment Selection2.9/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.3/5
- Production and Processing3.0/5
- Mathematics2.9/5
- Public Safety and Security2.5/5
- Building and Construction2.4/5
- Education and Training2.4/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma73%
- Less than high school21%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.