Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary
The median pay for a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in Iowa is $48,090/year ($23.12/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $54K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $54,119 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,064/month, about 32.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Iowa. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Iowa?
About sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods
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What this looks like in Iowa
Iowa sits well above the national pay line for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. Rent runs $1,064/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $54K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary by metro in Iowa
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque | $44K | -9% | 40 |
Compare to other states
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 33.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,234/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Iowa?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $48K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods?
Iowa pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods make in Iowa?
The median is $48,090 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,230, and experienced sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods can clear $53,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,197/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 33.3% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 $54,119 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.