Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary
The median pay for a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in Decatur, AL is $44,360/year ($21.33/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.21), which stretches that salary to about $50,866 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $961/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Decatur?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Decatur’s Regional Price Parity (87.21). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods
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What this looks like in Decatur
Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood pay in Decatur tracks closely to the national median, $44K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $961/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.21 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods in metros near Decatur, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa | $37K | $43K |
| Birmingham | $38K | $42K |
| Auburn-Opelika | $37K | $42K |
| Huntsville | $46K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Decatur, AL
Entry-level sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $14K spread from bottom to top.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $53K | +23% | 100 |
| Washington | $52K | +21% | 1,720 |
| Minnesota | $51K | +20% | 500 |
| Connecticut | $51K | +20% | 110 |
| Oregon | $50K | +16% | 2,010 |
| Montana | $49K | +15% | 280 |
| Idaho | $48K | +13% | 700 |
| Iowa | $48K | +12% | 240 |
| California | $47K | +11% | 3,230 |
| Massachusetts | $47K | +10% | 60 |
| Maryland | $47K | +10% | 130 |
| Colorado | $47K | +10% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +10% | 140 |
| Louisiana | $47K | +9% | 500 |
| Illinois | $47K | +9% | 470 |
| Maine | $46K | +8% | 730 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +8% | 130 |
| Vermont | $46K | +8% | 230 |
| Ohio | $45K | +5% | 2,180 |
| New Jersey | $45K | +4% | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | +4% | 1,880 |
| Utah | $43K | +2% | 180 |
| Arizona | $43K | +0% | 310 |
| Indiana | $43K | -0% | 1,270 |
| New York | $42K | -1% | 1,010 |
| Pennsylvania | $41K | -5% | 1,720 |
| Michigan | $40K | -6% | 1,510 |
| Georgia | $40K | -7% | 1,930 |
| Wyoming | $39K | -8% | 70 |
| Nevada | $39K | -8% | 170 |
| South Carolina | $39K | -8% | 810 |
| Tennessee | $39K | -9% | 1,510 |
| Florida | $38K | -10% | 740 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -11% | 2,020 |
| Missouri | $38K | -11% | 1,380 |
| Alabama | $38K | -12% | 1,880 |
| South Dakota | $37K | -12% | 260 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -14% | 1,910 |
| Kansas | $37K | -14% | 110 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -14% | 1,050 |
| Texas | $37K | -14% | 1,680 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -14% | 1,240 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -16% | 250 |
| Virginia | $36K | -16% | 1,580 |
| West Virginia | $36K | -17% | 360 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -19% | 70 |
Showing 1–10 of 46 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Decatur numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood afford a 2BR apartment alone in Decatur?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 32.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $961/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Decatur?
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 $2,297/month. At HUD’s $961/month FMR, rent would take 42% 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 Decatur?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $44K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Decatur compare to the national average for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods?
Decatur pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.21), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods make in Decatur, AL?
The median is $44,360 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,290, and experienced sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods can clear $52,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Decatur?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,969/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $961/month, which eats 32.4% 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 Decatur?
Decatur has a Regional Price Parity of 87.21 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood salary is worth about $50,866 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.