Production · Holland code RC

Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

Set up, operate, or tend wood sawing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment. Includes lead sawyers.

Also called: Resaw Operator, Rip Saw Operator, Saw Operator, Sawyer, Bandmill Operator, Cut Off Saw Operator, Edgerman, Knot Saw Operator.

O*NET 51-7041.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $42,770; Middle half earn $36,510 to $48,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 59% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.
Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.
Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.
Adjust bolts, clamps, stops, guides, or table angles or heights, using hand tools.
Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.
Examine logs or lumber to plan the best cuts.
Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.
Trim lumber to straighten rough edges or remove defects, using circular saws.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Monitoring3.0 / 5
Active Listening2.8 / 5
Speaking2.6 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.4 / 5
Active Learning2.1 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.2 / 5
Mechanical3.2 / 5
Public Safety and Security2.6 / 5
Mathematics2.6 / 5
Education and Training2.3 / 5
English Language2.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative23
Artistic0
Social3
Enterprising0
Conventional48

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

metal sawing machine operator · DE Metallsäger/Metallsägerin · FR opérateur sur machine à scier les métaux/opératrice sur machine à scier les métaux
crosscut saw operator · DE Schrotsägenführer/Schrotsägenführerin · FR scieur bois/scieuse bois
sawmill operator · DE Sägewerksfacharbeiter/Sägewerksfacharbeiterin · FR conducteur opérateur de scierie/conductrice opératrice de scierie
band saw operator · DE Bandsägenführer/Bandsägenführerin · FR opérateur de scie à ruban/opératrice de scie à ruban
planer thicknesser operator · DE Hobelmaschinenführer/Hobelmaschinenführerin · FR corroyeur en industrie du bois/corroyeuse en industrie du bois
table saw operator · DE Tischkreissägenführer/Tischkreissägenführerin · FR opérateur de sciage bois/opératrice de sciage bois

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Metal working machine operatives (8120)28,100 employed
Plant and machine operatives n.e.c. (8139)22,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.17. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-7041).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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