Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Arkansas, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $36,850 at the median, or about $17.71 an hour. The range runs from $26K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.64), which stretches that salary to about $42,047 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,021/month, about 40.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arkansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in Arkansas?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Arkansas
Pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing in Arkansas runs about 15% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,021/month, which is 40.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arkansas
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $26K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $34K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Arkansas
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith | $38K | +3% | 40 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $35K | -4% | 80 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $34K | -8% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arkansas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 40.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,021/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in Arkansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $26K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,558/month. At HUD’s $1,021/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing a high-paying job in Arkansas?
Local pay runs 15% below the national median — $37K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Arkansas compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Arkansas pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Arkansas?
The median is $36,850 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $25,960, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $59,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Arkansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,532/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,021/month, which eats 40.3% 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary go in Arkansas?
Arkansas has a Regional Price Parity of 87.64 (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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary is worth about $42,047 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings 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.