Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9032) earn a median $46,570 a year ($22.39 an hour) in the United States, with 44,980 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Minnesota.
What cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders cut stock into pieces with power-driven machines, working with materials such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, and insulation. The SOC definition excludes metal and plastic cutting, punching, and press machines, textile cutting machines, and woodworking machines, which have their own codes. The operator reviews work orders, blueprints, or job samples to learn the components, settings, and adjustments needed, then feeds stock into the machine, onto conveyors, or under blades by threading, guiding, pushing, or turning handwheels. Buttons, levers, or pedals start the machine, and a trial run confirms the setup. Pieces are measured, weighed, and examined with rulers, micrometers, or scales to check that they meet specifications. O*NET titles range from abrasive sawyer to apple peeler operator, showing how widely the machines are used. Cut material is stacked and sorted for packaging, further processing, or shipping. Hand cutters, who use knives and scissors rather than machines, are in a separate occupation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Abrasive Sawyer, Almond Cutting Machine Tender, Angle Shearer, Apple Peeler Operator, Applique Cutter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.27 | $18.96 | $22.39 | $25.87 | $29.39 | $22.82 | 44,980 |
| Annual | $35,930 | $39,440 | $46,570 | $53,800 | $61,120 | $47,460 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $22.60 | $24.72 | $28.01 | $30.38 | $31.33 | $27.47 | 1,130 | 0.38 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $47,010 | $51,420 | $58,260 | $63,190 | $65,160 | $57,140 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $20.52 | $22.41 | $25.11 | $29.07 | $35.95 | $26.38 | 100 | 0.32 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $42,670 | $46,600 | $52,220 | $60,470 | $74,770 | $54,860 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $19.42 | $21.42 | $24.88 | $28.02 | $28.92 | $24.80 | 700 | 0.25 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $40,400 | $44,560 | $51,750 | $58,280 | $60,150 | $51,580 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $18.67 | $20.06 | $24.78 | $28.60 | $30.86 | $24.94 | 100 | 0.19 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $38,830 | $41,720 | $51,540 | $59,500 | $64,200 | $51,870 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $22.06 | $24.23 | $24.61 | $28.30 | $30.36 | $26.03 | 990 | 0.50 | 1.74 |
| Annual | $45,880 | $50,410 | $51,180 | $58,860 | $63,140 | $54,140 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.67 | $17.83 | $20.29 | $22.68 | $25.36 | $20.61 | 3,650 | 0.26 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $34,670 | $37,080 | $42,210 | $47,170 | $52,740 | $42,860 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $16.57 | $17.93 | $21.04 | $23.96 | $28.76 | $21.56 | 3,100 | 0.63 | 2.17 |
| Annual | $34,470 | $37,290 | $43,770 | $49,830 | $59,830 | $44,840 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.84 | $19.22 | $22.17 | $24.65 | $29.72 | $22.88 | 3,080 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $37,110 | $39,980 | $46,110 | $51,280 | $61,820 | $47,580 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.57 | $19.15 | $23.27 | $26.70 | $28.52 | $23.02 | 3,000 | 0.54 | 1.87 |
| Annual | $36,550 | $39,830 | $48,400 | $55,530 | $59,320 | $47,880 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $18.00 | $19.31 | $22.19 | $25.60 | $29.55 | $22.83 | 2,110 | 0.66 | 2.28 |
| Annual | $37,430 | $40,170 | $46,150 | $53,240 | $61,470 | $47,490 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wilmington, NC | Hourly | $17.23 | $18.79 | $30.56 | $30.56 | $30.56 | $25.48 | 100 | 0.50 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $35,830 | $39,080 | $63,550 | $63,550 | $63,550 | $53,000 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $22.61 | $24.42 | $30.10 | $31.32 | $31.34 | $28.17 | 530 | 0.27 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $47,020 | $50,780 | $62,620 | $65,150 | $65,180 | $58,580 | ||||
| St. Cloud, MN | Hourly | $22.50 | $24.72 | $28.10 | $28.22 | $29.00 | $26.45 | 140 | 1.36 | 4.72 |
| Annual | $46,800 | $51,420 | $58,450 | $58,690 | $60,320 | $55,010 | ||||
| Topeka, KS | Hourly | $17.79 | $23.99 | $27.22 | $28.47 | $36.10 | $26.46 | 40 | 0.38 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $37,000 | $49,910 | $56,610 | $59,210 | $75,090 | $55,030 | ||||
| Yakima, WA | Hourly | $21.77 | $22.92 | $26.94 | $28.66 | $30.66 | $26.26 | 90 | 0.90 | 3.11 |
| Annual | $45,280 | $47,660 | $56,030 | $59,610 | $63,770 | $54,630 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.73 | $18.60 | $21.33 | $23.74 | $27.21 | $21.67 | 1,500 | 0.37 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $36,870 | $38,690 | $44,360 | $49,380 | $56,590 | $45,070 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.05 | $19.67 | $23.55 | $29.37 | $31.02 | $24.74 | 1,490 | 0.16 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $37,540 | $40,920 | $48,990 | $61,090 | $64,530 | $51,460 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.77 | $18.91 | $21.57 | $23.23 | $29.72 | $22.36 | 1,460 | 0.23 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $39,330 | $44,870 | $48,310 | $61,810 | $46,520 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $21.13 | $23.35 | $23.91 | $29.65 | $31.02 | $25.70 | 1,230 | 0.27 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $43,940 | $48,560 | $49,730 | $61,660 | $64,510 | $53,450 | ||||
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | Hourly | $17.47 | $18.47 | $21.53 | $23.33 | $28.85 | $21.87 | 940 | 0.69 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $36,330 | $38,410 | $44,790 | $48,530 | $60,010 | $45,490 | ||||
Top industries employing cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing employ 21.2% of cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (9,520 jobs) at a median $46,480 a year ($22.35 an hour), followed by Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (19.4%) and Printing and Related Support Activities (9.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 9,520 | 21.2% | $46,480 | $22.35 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 8,720 | 19.4% | $51,710 | $24.86 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities NAICS 323100 | 4,100 | 9.1% | $46,540 | $22.38 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 2,730 | 6.1% | $43,010 | $20.68 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 2,650 | 5.9% | $44,320 | $21.31 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (44,980). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,810 for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $46,570 in May 2025, with employment of 55,930 and 44,980.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,810 | $18.18 | 55,930 |
| May 2022 | $39,880 | $19.17 | 54,110 |
| May 2023 | $44,310 | $21.31 | 52,720 |
| May 2024 | $45,700 | $21.97 | 47,540 |
| May 2025 | $46,570 | $22.39 | 44,980 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota profile | $28.01 | $58,260 | $47,010 | $65,160 | 1,130 | 0.38 | 1.33 |
| 2 | Vermont profile | $25.11 | $52,220 | $42,670 | $74,770 | 100 | 0.32 | 1.10 |
| 3 | Colorado profile | $24.88 | $51,750 | $40,400 | $60,150 | 700 | 0.25 | 0.85 |
| 4 | Montana profile | $24.78 | $51,540 | $38,830 | $64,200 | 100 | 0.19 | 0.65 |
| 5 | Oregon profile | $24.61 | $51,180 | $45,880 | $63,140 | 990 | 0.50 | 1.74 |
| 6 | Missouri profile | $24.49 | $50,930 | $37,530 | $63,410 | 1,120 | 0.38 | 1.32 |
| 7 | Washington profile | $24.25 | $50,430 | $42,470 | $70,510 | 760 | 0.21 | 0.74 |
| 8 | New Hampshire profile | $24.18 | $50,290 | $39,520 | $65,280 | 90 | 0.14 | 0.48 |
| 9 | Illinois profile | $23.92 | $49,740 | $44,780 | $62,380 | 1,770 | 0.29 | 1.00 |
| 10 | New York profile | $23.88 | $49,680 | $38,190 | $63,930 | 1,870 | 0.19 | 0.67 |
| 11 | Iowa profile | $23.84 | $49,600 | $40,510 | $62,390 | 920 | 0.59 | 2.03 |
| 12 | Maine profile | $23.65 | $49,200 | $35,380 | $57,890 | 160 | 0.25 | 0.88 |
| 13 | New Jersey profile | $23.36 | $48,600 | $36,820 | $62,930 | 1,040 | 0.24 | 0.84 |
| 14 | Ohio profile | $23.27 | $48,400 | $36,550 | $59,320 | 3,000 | 0.54 | 1.87 |
| 15 | Nebraska profile | $23.22 | $48,300 | $38,690 | $60,540 | 530 | 0.51 | 1.78 |
| 16 | Kentucky profile | $23.16 | $48,180 | $37,820 | $59,810 | 900 | 0.45 | 1.56 |
| 17 | Wisconsin profile | $23.10 | $48,040 | $36,940 | $58,300 | 1,300 | 0.44 | 1.52 |
| 18 | North Dakota profile | $22.83 | $47,480 | $43,150 | $61,390 | 70 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 19 | South Carolina profile | $22.79 | $47,410 | $36,400 | $61,900 | 730 | 0.32 | 1.10 |
| 20 | Arkansas profile | $22.75 | $47,320 | $38,590 | $64,920 | 800 | 0.61 | 2.11 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.52 | $46,850 | $36,530 | $60,540 | 1,630 | 0.27 | 0.93 |
| 22 | Idaho profile | $22.52 | $46,840 | $42,810 | $55,700 | 160 | 0.19 | 0.64 |
| 23 | Arizona profile | $22.49 | $46,780 | $37,200 | $58,690 | 760 | 0.24 | 0.81 |
| 24 | Alaska profile | $22.23 | $46,240 | $24,770 | $63,650 | 30 | 0.10 | 0.34 |
| 25 | Indiana profile | $22.19 | $46,150 | $37,430 | $61,470 | 2,110 | 0.66 | 2.28 |
| 26 | California profile | $22.17 | $46,110 | $37,110 | $61,820 | 3,080 | 0.17 | 0.58 |
| 27 | Rhode Island profile | $22.09 | $45,950 | $31,970 | $55,700 | 210 | 0.41 | 1.43 |
| 28 | Utah profile | $21.88 | $45,510 | $35,330 | $59,810 | 740 | 0.43 | 1.47 |
| 29 | South Dakota profile | $21.63 | $44,980 | $39,720 | $53,800 | 460 | 1.00 | 3.45 |
| 30 | Maryland profile | $21.55 | $44,820 | $37,040 | $60,300 | 280 | 0.10 | 0.35 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $21.54 | $44,790 | $35,980 | $54,820 | 840 | 0.21 | 0.71 |
| 32 | Kansas profile | $21.52 | $44,760 | $36,510 | $54,580 | 760 | 0.53 | 1.84 |
| 33 | Michigan profile | $21.45 | $44,620 | $37,210 | $59,160 | 730 | 0.17 | 0.57 |
| 34 | Connecticut profile | $21.41 | $44,530 | $36,830 | $57,140 | 450 | 0.27 | 0.92 |
| 35 | Georgia profile | $21.22 | $44,130 | $32,210 | $60,580 | 1,230 | 0.25 | 0.87 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | $21.17 | $44,030 | $35,210 | $50,000 | 1,260 | 0.39 | 1.33 |
| 37 | Massachusetts profile | $21.05 | $43,790 | $35,360 | $58,430 | 1,280 | 0.35 | 1.22 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $21.04 | $43,770 | $34,470 | $59,830 | 3,100 | 0.63 | 2.17 |
| 39 | Nevada profile | $20.90 | $43,470 | $35,560 | $58,930 | 340 | 0.22 | 0.75 |
| 40 | Texas profile | $20.29 | $42,210 | $34,670 | $52,740 | 3,650 | 0.26 | 0.90 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | $20.00 | $41,590 | $30,460 | $57,050 | 710 | 0.61 | 2.10 |
| 42 | Louisiana profile | $19.79 | $41,170 | $30,700 | $70,860 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.20 |
| 43 | Florida profile | $19.49 | $40,540 | $33,410 | $59,040 | 1,370 | 0.14 | 0.48 |
| 44 | Alabama profile | $19.10 | $39,740 | $31,710 | $60,350 | 590 | 0.28 | 0.96 |
| 45 | West Virginia profile | $18.23 | $37,920 | $33,790 | $51,100 | 160 | 0.22 | 0.77 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $18.23 | $37,910 | $31,110 | $50,250 | 620 | 0.36 | 1.26 |
| 47 | New Mexico profile | $15.75 | $32,770 | $32,770 | $45,100 | 200 | 0.23 | 0.78 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9030), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9032 Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9032, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9032.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.