Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary: $47,349 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 47,540 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally earn a mean of $47,349. Employment in the series shown rose about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.6% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9032.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 47,540 workers.
What does a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $45,700 (May 2024 in our extract).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,207 |
| 25th percentile | $38,741 |
| Median (50th) | $45,379 |
| 75th percentile | $54,582 |
| 90th percentile | $62,944 |
What education do you need?
For Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.6% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -16.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -30.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 47,540.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 47,540 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 47,540 | 20.1% |
| Manufacturing | 39,910 | 16.9% |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 18,360 | 7.8% |
| Paper Manufacturing | 10,380 | 4.4% |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 9,500 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Slaughterers and Meat Packers | 67,500 | $39,790 |
| Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers | 141,090 | $37,700 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 174,430 | $45,590 |
| Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 8,960 | $37,940 |
| Butchers and Meat Cutters | 140,040 | $38,960 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
47,540 Workforce in 2023
The Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,349 Average Wage
In 2023, Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earned an average of $47,349.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
12,283 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -16.9%
10,208 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -30.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
-0.1% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 3,500 employees, $47,437 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,170 employees, $45,942 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 540 employees, $46,864 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 350 employees, $44,722 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 220 employees, $47,677 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 200 employees, $54,805 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 180 employees, $46,241 avg wage
- Modesto MSA: 150 employees, $53,730 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 130 employees, $45,605 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 110 employees, $48,118 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 100 employees, $47,533 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 was 47,540 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Skills
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Mechanical, English Language, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Near Vision, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Problem Sensitivity.
Required abilities for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
About
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $47,349 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-9032 - Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reports an average salary of $47,349.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 47,540 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.6%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.