Production
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
Also called: Angled Cabinetmaker, Assembler, Cabinet Assembler, Cabinet Builder
US median pay
$46,680
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-2.9%
declining
Openings a year (US)
6,900
81,800 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Cut, shape, and assemble wooden articles or set up and operate a variety of woodworking machines, such as power saws, jointers, and mortisers to surface, cut, or shape lumber or to fabricate parts for wood products.
What they do day to day
- Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
- Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
- Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
- Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
- Cut timber to the right size, and shape and trim parts of joints to ensure a snug fit, using hand tools, such as planes, chisels, or wood files.
- Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
- Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
- Establish the specifications of articles to be constructed or repaired, or plan the methods or operations for shaping or assembling parts, based on blueprints, drawings, diagrams, or oral or written instructions.
- Bore holes for insertion of screws or dowels, by hand or using boring machines.
- Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.4/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.2/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Operation and Control3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Operations Analysis2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.9/5
Knowledge
- Building and Construction3.2/5
- Mathematics3.1/5
- Production and Processing3.0/5
- Design2.9/5
- Mechanical2.9/5
- Administration and Management2.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.