Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood pay in California

In California, the median pay for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood is $22.78 an hour ($47,390 a year). About 3,230 people work in this job there.

$22.78Median hourly pay

$39,660–$55,020Middle half of workers, yearly

3,230People in this job in California

That is 11% higher than the U.S. median ($42,770). California ranks 9th of 46 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$17.95	$37,330
25% of workers	$19.07	$39,660
Half of workers (median)	$22.78	$47,390
75% of workers	$26.45	$55,020
90% of workers	$28.44	$59,160

Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$54,340	30
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$50,720	60
Redding	$50,630	160
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$50,250	80
Vallejo	$49,250	30
Stockton-Lodi	$48,210	80
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$47,460	420
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$46,380	600
Chico	$46,210	50
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$45,620	160
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$43,800	430
Fresno	$42,850	80
Modesto	$40,600	90
Yuba City	$37,910	50

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -1% over ten years, little or no change · about 4,500 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$45,890
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$48,450
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing	$46,370
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$46,110
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$60,180
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$59,050
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand	$44,450
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand	$37,840

Other job titles for this job

CrosscutterCut Off WorkerShake CutterSplitterTie SawyerSawyerSlasher OperatorCordwood CutterProp CutterPlanerRipperAutomatic Bandsaw Tender

Open sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job free Find jobs Check pay for any job

Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/sawing-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-wood/california.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.