Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood build operation and control, operations monitoring and quality control analysis skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | 90% | $42,660 | 0% | None |
| 2 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 89% | $46,550 | +9% | None |
| 3 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 89% | $38,760 | −9% | None |
| 4 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 89% | $46,330 | +8% | None |
| 5 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 86% | $46,570 | +9% | None |
| 6 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $52,800 | +23% | None |
| 7 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 84% | $50,270 | +18% | None |
| 8 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | 84% | $50,060 | +17% | None |
| 9 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 84% | $49,030 | +15% | None |
| 10 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 83% | $50,140 | +17% | None |
Compared with Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood, median $42,770. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $42,660 · 0% pay
Equipment Selection · Technology Design · Quality Control Analysis
89% skill match · $46,550 · +9% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Programming
89% skill match · $38,760 · −9% pay
Programming · Operations Monitoring · Equipment Selection
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (90% skill match, median $42,660), Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (89% skill match, median $46,550) and Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (89% skill match, median $38,760), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 20 pay more than sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood at the median. The biggest increases: Continuous Mining Machine Operators (+45%, $61,810), Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (+43%, $61,290) and Engine and Other Machine Assemblers (+26%, $53,710).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.