Food, wood and textiles
Woodworking machine operator
Key facts
This job is declining in the United States. AI exposure: very low according to the ILO, low according to the BLS. Employment change in the United States by 2035: −5.5% (BLS). Future-proof jobs use similar skills: see "What next?".
The job
Woodworking-machine tool setters and operators (ISCO 7523). Woodworking machine tool setters and operators set-up, operate and monitor automatic or semi-automatic woodworking machines such as precision sawing, shaping, planing, boring, turning and woodcarving machines to fabricate or repair wooden parts for furniture, fixtures and other wooden products.
Page built from official classifications (ILO, ESCO); figures cover all the jobs grouped here.
99 job titles linked to this page
Titles from the European ESCO classification. They are also used for search.
- bodger
- CNC wood machinist
- floor sander
- floor sanding machine operator
- floor sanding machine specialist
- floor sanding machine technician
- floor sanding machine worker
- hand wood sander
- lather of wood
- multi-spindle wood machinist
- nailing machine operative
- nailing machine operator
- nailing machine specialist
- nailing machine technician
- nailing machine worker
- nailing machinist
- nailing-machine operative
- nailing-machine operator
- nailing-machine specialist
- nailing-machine technician
- nailing-machine worker
- nailing-machinist
- pallet machine operator
- pallet machine specialist
- pallet machine technician
- pallet machine worker
- pallet nailing machine operator
- pallet nailing machine specialist
- pallet nailing machine technician
- pallet nailing machine worker
- production woodworker
- sanding machine operative
- sanding machine operator
- sanding machine setter
- sanding machine specialist
- sanding machine technician
- sanding machine tender
- sanding machine worker
- sanding machinist
- timber furniture machine operative
- timber furniture machine setter
- timber furniture machine tender
- timber furniture machine worker
- timber furniture machinist
- wood borer
- wood boring machine operative
- wood boring machine operator
- wood boring machine setter
- wood boring machine specialist
- wood boring machine technician
- wood boring machine tender
- wood boring machine worker
- wood boring mill operator
- wood boring mill specialist
- wood boring mill technician
- wood boring specialist
- wood boring technician
- wood boring worker
- wood drilling machine operator
- wood drilling machine specialist
- wood drilling machine technician
- wood furniture machine operator
- wood furniture machine specialist
- wood furniture machine technician
- wood furniture machine worker
- wood furniture machinist
- wood lathe operator
- wood lathe specialist
- wood lathe technician
- wood lathe turner
- wood lather
- wood lather turner
- wood machinist
- wood pallet maker
- wood sander
- wood sander, hand
- wood sanding machine operative
- wood sanding machine operator
- wood sanding machine setter
- wood sanding machine tender
- wood sanding machine worker
- wood turner
- wood turning lathe operative
- wood turning lathe operator
- wood turning lathe setter
- wood turning lathe tender
- wood turning machinist
- wooden furniture machine operative
- wooden furniture machine operator
- wooden furniture machine setter
- wooden furniture machine specialist
- wooden furniture machine technician
- wooden furniture machine tender
- wooden furniture machine worker
- wooden furniture machinist
- wooden pallet maker
- woodturner
- woodworker/sander
- woodworking machinist
What next?
Future-proof jobs that draw on skills close to this one. They are leads to explore, not an assessment of your profile.
- ChangingJoiner
- ChangingCarpenter (framing)
- ChangingWood treater
Indicative matches: at launch they will come from the skills listed in official occupational directories.
Gauges
No US indicator measures hiring difficulty job by job: this gauge stays empty. How countries are compared
Sources
- AI exposure categories and employment projections, 2025-2035 (XLSX file)Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States · August 2026 · official statistics
- Generative AI and Jobs: a refined global index of occupational exposureInternational Labour Organization and NASK · May 2025 · large survey
- ESCO, European classification of skills, competences, qualifications and occupations (job titles and O*NET crosswalk)European Commission · version 1.2 · official statistics
- EURES report on labour shortages and surpluses 2025, annexEuropean Labour Authority · June 2026 · official statistics
Checked on 27 October 2026.