Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood pay in California
$47,980avg. a year
$23.07 an hour · 3,230 employed
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood in California earn an average of $47,980 a year. That is $4,400 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $43,580. The best-paying metro area is Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA at $56,260.
$47,390Median pay
$23.07Average hourly
+39%Avg. pay since 2020
#12Of 46 states
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood by metro area. Swipe to see all 14.
130 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$56,260
$27.05 an hour
260 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$54,030
$25.97 an hour
3160 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$51,580
$24.80 an hour
480 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$51,070
$24.55 an hour
530 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$50,960
$24.50 an hour
680 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$49,270
$23.69 an hour
7160 jobs
Redding, CA
$49,030
$23.57 an hour
8420 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$48,170
$23.16 an hour
950 jobs
Chico, CA
$46,860
$22.53 an hour
10600 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$46,770
$22.49 an hour
11430 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$44,970
$21.62 an hour
1290 jobs
Modesto, CA
$43,630
$20.98 an hour
1380 jobs
Fresno, CA
$43,340
$20.84 an hour
1450 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$41,290
$19.85 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $40k$40k–$44k$44k–$48k$48k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $43,580 | $20.95 |
| California | $47,980 | $23.07 |
| Oregon | $49,770 | $23.93 |
| Arizona | $44,920 | $21.60 |
| Nevada | $42,730 | $20.55 |
Related jobs in California
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters$53,030
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$46,570
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$51,060
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$82,000
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$59,540
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$61,120
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood make in California?
The average is $47,980 a year, and the median is $47,390. That is $4,400 (10%) more than the U.S. average of $43,580.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$23.07 an hour on average; the median is $22.78.
Where in California do they earn the most?
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($56,260), followed by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($54,030). The lowest average among 14 metro areas with data is Yuba City, CA ($41,290).
How does California rank?
California ranks #12 of 46 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-7041. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.