How to become a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood
Official title: Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
Also called: Bandmill Operator, Cut Off Saw Operator, Edgerman, Knot Saw Operator, Panel Saw Operator, Planer, Resaw Operator, Rip Saw Operator, Saw Operator, Sawyer
Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.
Main tasks
- 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.
- Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
- Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.
- 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.
- Guide workpieces against saws, saw over workpieces by hand, or operate automatic feeding devices to guide cuts.
How to become one
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a woodworker. Although some entry-level jobs may be learned in 1 month or less, becoming proficient typically requires several months to more than a year of on-the-job training. The ability to use computer-controlled machinery also is important.
Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent
Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Ways in
- Apprenticeship: Head Sawyer.
- Apprenticeship: Pony Edger (Sawmill).
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $42,770 a year The middle half earn $36,510 to $48,620.
- About 41,200 people work in this job now, and about 40,800 are projected by 2035. (-1%)
- People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Related jobs
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
- Furniture Finishers
- Model Makers, Wood
- Patternmakers, Wood
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood?
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a woodworker. Although some entry-level jobs may be learned in 1 month or less, becoming proficient typically requires several months to more than a year of on-the-job training. The ability to use computer-controlled machinery also is important.
How much does a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood earn in the US?
Median full-time pay is $42,770 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $36,510 to $48,620.
Is a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood a growing career in the US?
Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 41,200 people now and 40,800 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Do you need a degree to become a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood?
Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Head Sawyer.
Will AI change the work of a Sawing Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Wood?
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.
Sources
- Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.