Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Montana, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $45,610 at the median, or about $21.93 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97), that's roughly $47,021 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,129/month, about 36.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Montana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $46K get you in Montana?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Montana
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay in Montana tracks closely to the national median, $46K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,129/month, which is 36.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Montana
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Montana
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billings | $37K | -19% | 30 |
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 Montana 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 Montana?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 36.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,129/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 Montana?
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 $1,921/month. At HUD’s $1,129/month FMR, rent would take 59% 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 Montana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $46K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Montana compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Montana pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Montana?
The median is $45,610 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,020, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $58,100. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Montana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,092/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,129/month, which eats 36.5% 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 Montana?
Montana has a Regional Price Parity of 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 $47,021 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.