Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary: $45,700 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 47,540 cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders work nationally, and $45,700 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.6% annual decline.
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 percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| 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 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 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders shrank from 26,720 in 2009 to 14,780 in 2025 (44.7%).
Historical employment for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$45,700 Median pay (BLS national)
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn $45,700 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 3,830 employees, $46,150 avg wage
- OH: 3,670 employees, $45,390 avg wage
- TX: 3,200 employees, $42,530 avg wage
- NC: 2,950 employees, $43,630 avg wage
- IN: 2,270 employees, $47,110 avg wage
- NY: 2,160 employees, $48,300 avg wage
- FL: 1,830 employees, $45,350 avg wage
- PA: 1,720 employees, $47,410 avg wage
- GA: 1,640 employees, $42,430 avg wage
- WI: 1,620 employees, $50,340 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-Anaheim, CA: 1,710 employees, $45,060 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,470 employees, $47,620 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,310 employees, $44,710 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 1,070 employees, $54,280 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 950 employees, $48,900 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 820 employees, $44,510 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 760 employees, $45,310 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 750 employees, $47,170 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 620 employees, $55,500 avg wage
- Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC: 610 employees, $43,150 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 U.S. workforce for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is about 47,540 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn $45,700 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.