Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Indiana, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $41,600 at the median, or about $20 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.81), which stretches that salary to about $45,311 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,144/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Indiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Indiana?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Indiana
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay in Indiana tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,144/month, which is 40.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.81 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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, Indiana
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Indiana
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhart-Goshen | $45K | +8% | 1,070 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $45K | +7% | 180 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $40K | -3% | 290 |
| Fort Wayne | $39K | -6% | 80 |
| Terre Haute | $39K | -7% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Indiana 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 Indiana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 40.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,144/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Indiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,114/month. At HUD’s $1,144/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 Indiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Indiana compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Indiana pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.81), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Indiana?
The median is $41,600 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,230, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $57,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Indiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,850/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,144/month, which eats 40.1% 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary go in Indiana?
Indiana has a Regional Price Parity of 91.81 (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 $45,311 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.