Patternmakers, Wood
What Patternmakers, Wood Do
Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
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
- 58.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mathematicsimportance 4.0/5
- Designimportance 3.6/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.6/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 3.3/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.3/5
- Production and Processingimportance 3.2/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.6/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.4/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.3/5
- Contact With Others4.2/5
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.
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters90% skill match
- Furniture Finishers84% skill match
- Chemical Technicians83% skill match
- Etchers and Engravers81% skill match
- Model Makers, Wood80% skill match
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic80% skill match
- Dental Laboratory Technicians80% skill match
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders80% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
- Operations Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- 3D Systems Geomagic Design X
- Delcam PowerMILL
- Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Achievement Orientation
- Perseverance
- 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
- ArtisticMedium
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
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.
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Model Makers, WoodLateral Move
- Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersLateral Move
- Model Makers, Metal and PlasticLateral Move
- Etchers and EngraversLateral Move
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.