Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing build operations monitoring, operation and control 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 Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (91%).
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 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 91% | $52,800 | +22% | None |
| 2 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 91% | $46,550 | +7% | None |
| 3 | Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 89% | $38,760 | −11% | None |
| 4 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 88% | $46,570 | +7% | None |
| 5 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 88% | $46,330 | +7% | None |
| 6 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 87% | $50,620 | +17% | None |
| 7 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $50,140 | +16% | None |
| 8 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $47,180 | +9% | None |
| 9 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $49,030 | +13% | None |
| 10 | Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $49,080 | +13% | None |
Compared with Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing, median $43,380. 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing (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.
91% skill match · $52,800 · +22% pay
Coordination · Systems Analysis · Social Perceptiveness
91% skill match · $46,550 · +7% pay
Coordination · Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring
89% skill match · $38,760 · −11% pay
Coordination · Systems Analysis · Management of Personnel Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (91% skill match, median $52,800), Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (91% 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 woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing at the median. The biggest increases: Pile Driver Operators (+69%, $73,300), Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (+62%, $70,070) and Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (+41%, $61,290).
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.