Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood Salary in Hickory, NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Median annual salary $35,730 -10.6% vs national
Median hourly $17.18
10th percentile $27,250
90th percentile $45,690
Employed locally 190
National median $39,950

Compare Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary & buying power

Type a city below to see how Hickory, NC stacks up on salary and cost of living.

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Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $27,250
    25th
    $29,600
    50th (median)
    $35,730
    75th
    $38,640
    90th
    $45,690

    Hickory economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $60,255 2023 • Census ACS
    Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary vs area income 59% Median Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary is 41% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood

    Metro areaMedian salary
    North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area $54,620
    Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA $54,340
    Missoula, MT $53,750
    Alaska nonmetropolitan area $53,460
    Coast Oregon nonmetropolitan area $51,520
    Albany, OR $51,410

    Nearby metros — Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $49,450
    Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $47,440
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,620
    North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) $43,570
    Florence, SC $43,480
    Lancaster, PA $42,570

    Related occupations in Hickory, NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $38,670
    Upholsterers $59,400
    Sewing Machine Operators $46,360
    First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $63,280
    Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $41,340
    Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $52,150

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood make per hour in Hickory?

    The median hourly wage for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood in Hickory, NC is $17.18, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $23.24 or more per hour.

    Is Hickory above or below average for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salaries?

    The median Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood salary in Hickory, NC is 10.6% below the national median of $39,950. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood in Hickory?

    Entry-level Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood (10th percentile) earn around $27,250 per year in Hickory, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $29,600.