Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Michigan, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $47,680 at the median, or about $22.92 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $55K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $50,783 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 39.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $48K get you in Michigan?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Michigan
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay in Michigan tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 39.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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, Michigan
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $55K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Michigan
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $48K | +0% | 2,780 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $46K | -3% | 50 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $46K | -4% | 410 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $44K | -9% | 40 |
| Niles | $40K | -17% | 40 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $37K | -22% | 90 |
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 Michigan numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 39.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,288/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Michigan?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Michigan pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Michigan?
The median is $47,680 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,130, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $54,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,194/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 39.8% 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 Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 $50,783 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.