Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Fort Wayne, IN, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $39,110 at the median, or about $18.8 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $50K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.57), which stretches that salary to about $42,249 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,113/month, about 41% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Fort Wayne?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Wayne’s Regional Price Parity (92.57). 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 Fort Wayne
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay in Fort Wayne tracks closely to the national median, $39K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,113/month, which is 41.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.57 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in metros near Fort Wayne, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen | $45K | $50K |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $40K | $42K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $45K | $48K |
| Terre Haute | $39K | $44K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Wayne, IN
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $50K or more, a $18K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Fort Wayne numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Wayne?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 41.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,113/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 Fort Wayne?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,922/month. At HUD’s $1,113/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Fort Wayne?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $39K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Fort Wayne compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Fort Wayne pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Fort Wayne, IN?
The median is $39,110 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,030, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $50,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Fort Wayne?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,689/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,113/month, which eats 41.4% 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary go in Fort Wayne?
Fort Wayne has a Regional Price Parity of 92.57 (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 $42,249 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.