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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.
Other titles employers use
Cabinet Assembler · Cabinet Builder · Cabinet Installer · Cabinetmaker · Double End Tenon Operator · Frame Builder · Framer · Woodworker
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
- Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
- 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.
- Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
Subjects to know
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
Useful strengths
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Control Precision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.2 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.6 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.3 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 73%
- A certificate or some college 27%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Spreadsheet software
- Electronic mail software
- Operating system software
- Project management software
- Facilities management software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 10,450
- Job openings each year
- 1,060
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 11.4%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 10,450 | 1,060 | 11.4% |
| California | 10,200 | 950 | −5.6% |
| Indiana | 7,830 | 760 | 3.2% |
| Florida | 5,340 | 550 | 13.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 4,990 | 480 | −1.0% |
| Georgia | 4,220 | 440 | 17.5% |
| New York | 4,010 | 0 | −10.7% |
| Ohio | 3,470 | 330 | −1.7% |
| Oregon | 3,420 | 340 | 8.2% |
| Minnesota | 3,230 | 320 | 4.9% |
| Wisconsin | 2,820 | 280 | 6.0% |
| North Carolina | 2,810 | 280 | 7.3% |
| Illinois | 2,780 | 280 | 7.8% |
| Utah | 2,740 | 280 | 9.2% |
| Alabama | 2,630 | 260 | 6.9% |
| Washington | 2,570 | 230 | −3.4% |
| Virginia | 2,520 | 240 | — |
| Arizona | 1,780 | 180 | 16.3% |
| Iowa | 1,780 | 180 | 8.5% |
| Missouri | 1,750 | 170 | — |
| Colorado | 1,730 | 170 | 7.5% |
| Michigan | 1,730 | 160 | −2.3% |
| Tennessee | 1,650 | 160 | 5.1% |
| New Jersey | 1,610 | 160 | 3.9% |
| Arkansas | 1,300 | 120 | −5.8% |
| Kansas | 1,300 | 120 | −13.9% |
| Kentucky | 1,270 | 130 | 5.0% |
| Oklahoma | 1,110 | 110 | 2.8% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,070 | 110 | 24.4% |
| South Carolina | 950 | 90 | — |
| Nebraska | 900 | 90 | 7.1% |
| Mississippi | 820 | 80 | −5.7% |
| Nevada | 790 | 80 | 5.3% |
| Idaho | 710 | 70 | 18.3% |
| Connecticut | 690 | 70 | 16.9% |
| Montana | 690 | 70 | 11.3% |
| Massachusetts | 670 | 70 | 11.7% |
| Louisiana | 600 | 60 | 11.1% |
| Maine | 600 | 60 | −3.2% |
| South Dakota | 600 | 60 | 7.1% |
| West Virginia | 490 | 50 | −7.5% |
| Maryland | 440 | 40 | −4.3% |
| New Hampshire | 270 | 30 | — |
| Vermont | 270 | 30 | −6.9% |
| North Dakota | 230 | 20 | — |
| Rhode Island | 230 | 20 | 9.5% |
| Delaware | 190 | 20 | −9.5% |
| New Mexico | 170 | 20 | 13.3% |
| Wyoming | 110 | 10 | 10.0% |
| Alaska | 70 | 10 | 16.7% |
Career to college
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Where to study
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