Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing Salary
In Tennessee, woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings earn $35,290 at the median, or about $16.97 an hour. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $46K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $39,307 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 47.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $35K get you in Tennessee?
About woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Pay for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing in Tennessee runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $43K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 48% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% 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, Tennessee
Entry-level woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $46K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing salary by metro in Tennessee
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $41K | +15% | 460 |
| Memphis | $36K | +3% | 170 |
| Chattanooga | $36K | +1% | 70 |
| Knoxville | $34K | -5% | 220 |
| Morristown | $31K | -11% | 150 |
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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 48% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,760/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Tennessee?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $35K here vs. $43K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings?
Tennessee pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $43K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings make in Tennessee?
The median is $35,290 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,330, and experienced woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawings can clear $46,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,533/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 48% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (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 $39,307 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.