Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In South Dakota, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $41,740 at the median, or about $20.07 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $46,435 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,017/month, about 33.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across South Dakota. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in South Dakota?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing pay in South Dakota tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $43K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,017/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in South Dakota
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls | $43K | +3% | 150 |
| Rapid City | $38K | -9% | 130 |
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 South Dakota 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 South Dakota?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 34.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/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 South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,864/month. At HUD’s $1,017/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 South Dakota?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $43K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
South Dakota pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in South Dakota?
The median is $41,740 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,070, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $51,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,965/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 34.3% 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 South Dakota?
South Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 89.89 (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 $46,435 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.