Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Salem, OR, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $48,660 at the median, or about $23.39 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $46,946 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 46.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 50% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $50K | $47K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $48K | $47K |
| Bend | $55K | $53K |
| Medford | $52K | $52K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $17K 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 Salem 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 Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 50% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,504/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Salem?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $49K here vs. $43K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Salem pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), 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 Salem, OR?
The median is $48,660 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,740, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $58,720. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,117/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 50% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing salary is worth about $46,946 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.