Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Bellingham, WA, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $50,220 at the median, or about $24.15 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $56K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.33), that's roughly $48,602 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,794/month, about 51.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in Bellingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bellingham’s Regional Price Parity (103.33). 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Bellingham
Bellingham sits well above the national pay line for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing, local pay runs about 16% 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 $1,794/month, which is 50.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.33) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in metros near Bellingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $56K | $51K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $52K | $52K |
| Longview-Kelso | $60K | $61K |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bellingham, WA
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $56K or more, a $12K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $53K | +22% | 1,250 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +19% | 710 |
| Iowa | $51K | +18% | 1,100 |
| New Jersey | $50K | +15% | 410 |
| Oregon | $49K | +14% | 2,120 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +13% | 490 |
| Michigan | $48K | +10% | 5,250 |
| Louisiana | $47K | +9% | 400 |
| Connecticut | $47K | +9% | 150 |
| Colorado | $47K | +7% | 440 |
| Vermont | $46K | +7% | 200 |
| Maryland | $46K | +7% | 420 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | +7% | 440 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +7% | 890 |
| California | $46K | +7% | 3,530 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | +6% | 100 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +6% | 280 |
| Idaho | $46K | +5% | 830 |
| Montana | $46K | +5% | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | +4% | 3,310 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | +2% | 2,610 |
| Maine | $44K | +2% | 440 |
| Ohio | $44K | +1% | 2,710 |
| New York | $44K | +1% | 1,250 |
| Kansas | $44K | +0% | 470 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -3% | 860 |
| South Carolina | $42K | -3% | 1,660 |
| South Dakota | $42K | -4% | 490 |
| Indiana | $42K | -4% | 3,570 |
| Illinois | $41K | -5% | 1,820 |
| Nevada | $41K | -5% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $40K | -8% | 280 |
| Wyoming | $40K | -8% | 40 |
| Arizona | $39K | -9% | 1,430 |
| Virginia | $39K | -9% | 1,520 |
| Utah | $39K | -9% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $39K | -11% | 1,840 |
| New Mexico | $39K | -11% | 150 |
| Missouri | $39K | -11% | 940 |
| Kentucky | $38K | -12% | 1,320 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -13% | 4,090 |
| Georgia | $37K | -14% | 2,280 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -15% | 760 |
| Alabama | $37K | -15% | 2,580 |
| Oklahoma | $36K | -17% | 260 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -19% | 1,840 |
| Texas | $34K | -22% | 2,130 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary changes
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Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bellingham?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 50.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,794/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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in Bellingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,639/month. At HUD’s $1,794/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Bellingham?
Local pay is 16% above the national median — $50K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Bellingham compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Bellingham pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Bellingham, WA?
The median is $50,220 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,990, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $55,810. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Bellingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,533/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,794/month, which eats 50.8% 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 Bellingham?
Bellingham has a Regional Price Parity of 103.33 (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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary is worth about $48,602 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.