Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
SOC Code: 51-7042 Job Zone 2: Some Preparation Needed
Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $39,915 | $47,466 | $54,995 | $62,546 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $44,678 | $49,691 | $54,725 | $59,738 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $47,362 | $51,126 | $54,912 | $58,677 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $44,616 | $49,275 | $53,914 | $58,573 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $46,925 | $50,794 | $54,662 | $58,531 |
| Savannah, GA | $40,539 | $46,301 | $52,042 | $57,803 |
| Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $45,926 | $49,504 | $53,082 | $56,659 |
| Boulder, CO | $41,122 | $46,301 | $51,459 | $56,638 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $42,931 | $47,486 | $52,021 | $56,576 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $42,910 | $47,445 | $51,979 | $56,514 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.5 | |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.2 | |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.0 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | |
| Speaking | 3.0 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.0 | |
| Equipment Selection | 2.9 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Mechanical | 3.3 |
| Production and Processing | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.9 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.5 |
| Building and Construction | 2.4 |
| Education and Training | 2.4 |
| Design | 2.3 |
| English Language | 2.3 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma | 73.1% |
| Less than high school | 20.7% |
| Some college | 4.5% |
| Bachelor's degree | 1.7% |
Typical Tasks
- Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly.
- Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders.
- Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components.
- Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations.
- Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines.
- Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications.
- Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Photoshop Apple macOS Autodesk AutoCAD Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint Microsoft Windows Microsoft Word Oracle Java
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