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Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median $46,570 a year in the U.S., with 44,980 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $46,570 a year
- Employment
- 44,980
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- -0.9%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 5,400
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $46,570 · $22.39 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $47,460 · $22.82 an hour (estimate error ±0.4%)
- 10th percentile
- $35,930 · $17.27 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $39,440 · $18.96 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $53,800 · $25.87 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $61,120 · $29.39 an hour
- Employment
- 44,980 (estimate error ±2.0%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. Excludes “Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4031), “Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-6062), and “Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders” (51-7040).
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 45,900
- Projected for 2035
- 45,500
- Change
- -400 (-0.9%)
- Openings each year
- 5,400
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 0.6%
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota | $58,260 | 1,130 |
| 2 | Vermont | $52,220 | 100 |
| 3 | Colorado | $51,750 | 700 |
| 4 | Montana | $51,540 | 100 |
| 5 | Oregon | $51,180 | 990 |
| 6 | Missouri | $50,930 | 1,120 |
| 7 | Washington | $50,430 | 760 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $50,290 | 90 |
| 9 | Illinois | $49,740 | 1,770 |
| 10 | New York | $49,680 | 1,870 |
States with the most jobs
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| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 3,650 | $42,210 |
| North Carolina | 3,100 | $43,770 |
| California | 3,080 | $46,110 |
| Ohio | 3,000 | $48,400 |
| Indiana | 2,110 | $46,150 |
| New York | 1,870 | $49,680 |
| Illinois | 1,770 | $49,740 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,630 | $46,850 |
| Florida | 1,370 | $40,540 |
| Wisconsin | 1,300 | $48,040 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
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| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilmington, NC | $63,550 | 100 |
| 2 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $62,620 | 530 |
| 3 | St. Cloud, MN | $58,450 | 140 |
| 4 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $54,950 | 400 |
| 5 | Gettysburg, PA | $54,100 | 110 |
| 6 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $53,680 | 490 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $53,370 | 860 |
| 8 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $52,920 | 150 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,180 | 320 |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $51,750 | 220 |
| 11 | Green Bay, WI | $51,690 | 110 |
| 12 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $51,560 | 130 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,500 | $44,360 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,490 | $48,990 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,460 | $44,870 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 1,230 | $49,730 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 940 | $44,790 |
| Cleveland, OH | 860 | $53,370 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 720 | $37,840 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 680 | $47,890 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 590 | $44,320 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 590 | $44,940 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 590 | $46,780 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 560 | $47,660 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)12 certified filingsMedian offered wage $38,002
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
Related occupations
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- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers
- Dental Laboratory Technicians
- Medical Appliance Technicians
Frequently asked questions
- How much do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
- The median wage for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. is $46,570 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $39,440 and $53,800.
- Which state pays cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?
- Minnesota has the highest median wage for this occupation at $58,260 a year.
- What is the job outlook for cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
- BLS projects employment to decline 0.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 5,400 openings each year on average.
- What education do cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders need?
- The typical entry-level education is: high school diploma or equivalent.