Production
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
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.
Median pay
$46,680
Growth to 2035
−3%
declining
Openings a year
6,900
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters: 27% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Angled Cabinetmaker · Assembler · Cabinet Assembler · Cabinet Builder · Cabinet Door Maker · Cabinet Installer · Cabinetmaker · Double End Tenon Operator
Outlook and AI
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters held 81,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 79,400 by 2035 (−3%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Furniture finisher
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Carpenter
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Patternmakers, wood
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Upholsterer
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Layout workers, metal and plastic
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Structural metal fabricators and fitters
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
- Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. Model makers, metal and plastic