Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary
The median pay for a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in Alaska is $52,680/year ($25.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.31), that's roughly $50,503 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,643/month, about 44.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Alaska. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $53K get you in Alaska?
About sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods
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What this looks like in Alaska
Alaska sits well above the national pay line for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,643/month, which is 44.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 104.31) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alaska
Entry-level sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alaska numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alaska?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 44.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,643/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods in Alaska?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,253/month. At HUD’s $1,643/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood a high-paying job in Alaska?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $53K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Alaska compare to the national average for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods?
Alaska pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.31), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods make in Alaska?
The median is $52,680 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,550, and experienced sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods can clear $57,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Alaska?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,697/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,643/month, which eats 44.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary go in Alaska?
Alaska has a Regional Price Parity of 104.31 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary is worth about $50,503 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.