Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing industry earns $52,430 per year ($25.21/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing Workers Earn?
At $52,430/year (equivalent to $25.21/hour for a full-time worker), cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing wages are below the national average of ~$65,000.
Lower wages in this industry are common in service-oriented or retail-adjacent sectors where entry barriers are lower. This can be an advantage for business owners managing payroll costs, but may contribute to higher turnover.
The typical cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing business employs 24 people. These are larger operations where staffing represents a major cost center and management complexity.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing business generating $8.8M/year with 24 employees at $52,430 each, total payroll represents roughly 14.3% of revenue. Labor costs are relatively low compared to revenue — other costs (materials, equipment, overhead) dominate.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a cut stock, resawing lumber, and planingbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $68,159/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 24 employees = ~$1,258,320/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $25.21/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $8.8M/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Cut Stock, Resawing Lumber, and Planing revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing employees make?
- The average cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing employee earns $52,430 per year, which is equivalent to $25.21/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing industry?
- The cut stock, resawing lumber, and planing industry employs 13,149 workers across 559 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 24 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).