Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary
The median pay for a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in Montana is $49,090/year ($23.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $50,608 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 33.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Montana. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $49K get you in Montana?
About sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods
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What this looks like in Montana
Montana sits well above the national pay line for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. Rent runs $1,129/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $16K 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 Montana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood afford a 2BR apartment alone in Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 34.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 Montana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,539/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Montana?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $49K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Montana compare to the national average for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods?
Montana pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods make in Montana?
The median is $49,090 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,320, and experienced sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, woods can clear $57,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,308/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 34.1% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 97 (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 $50,608 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.