Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Missouri, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $38,640 at the median, or about $18.58 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $49K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.97), which stretches that salary to about $43,430 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,097/month, about 41.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Missouri. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $39K get you in Missouri?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Missouri
Pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing in Missouri runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,097/month, which is 41.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% 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, Missouri
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $49K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Missouri
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $42K | +10% | 200 |
| Kansas City | $40K | +4% | 330 |
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 Missouri?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 41.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,097/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 Missouri?
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 $2,076/month. At HUD’s $1,097/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Missouri?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $39K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Missouri compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Missouri pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Missouri?
The median is $38,640 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,600, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $49,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Missouri?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,670/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,097/month, which eats 41.1% 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 Missouri?
Missouri has a Regional Price Parity of 88.97 (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 $43,430 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.