Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
What Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mathematicsimportance 4.2/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.8/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.4/5
- Designimportance 3.4/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.0/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.4/5
- English Languageimportance 2.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
- Spend Time Standing4.6/5
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled4.4/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.3/5
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment4.2/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Patternmakers, Wood90% skill match
- Semiconductor Processing Technicians90% skill match
- Etchers and Engravers89% skill match
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood89% skill match
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic89% skill match
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers88% skill match
- Chemical Technicians88% skill match
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders88% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.5/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.4/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Equipment Selectionimportance 3.0/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Computer estimation software
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
- Integrity
- Innovation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- ArtisticLow
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
Specific Interests
A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where cabinetmakers and bench carpenters make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Elkhart-Goshen, IN28.93× national avg
- 2Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA6.54× national avg
- 3St. Cloud, MN5.56× national avg
- 4Wausau, WI5.41× national avg
- 5St. George, UT4.62× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Patternmakers, WoodAdvancement
- Furniture FinishersLateral Move
- Model Makers, Metal and PlasticAdvancement
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, WoodLateral Move
See the full career path from Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters →
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.