How to become a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter

Official title: Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

Also called: Angled Cabinetmaker, Assembler, Cabinet Assembler, Cabinet Builder, Cabinet Door Maker, Cabinet Installer, Cabinetmaker, Double End Tenon Operator, Frame Builder, Woodworker

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a woodworker. Although some entry-level jobs may be learned in 1 month or less, becoming proficient typically requires several months to more than a year of on-the-job training. The ability to use computer-controlled machinery also is important.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Cabinetmaker.
• Apprenticeship: Carver, Hand.
• Apprenticeship: Harpsichord Maker.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $46,680 a year The middle half earn $38,830 to $55,760.
• About 81,800 people work in this job now, and about 79,400 are projected by 2035. (-2.9%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Furniture Finishers
• Model Makers, Wood
• Patternmakers, Wood
• Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood
• Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter?

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to become a woodworker. Although some entry-level jobs may be learned in 1 month or less, becoming proficient typically requires several months to more than a year of on-the-job training. The ability to use computer-controlled machinery also is important.

How much does a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,680 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $38,830 to $55,760.

Is a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 81,800 to about 79,400 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Cabinetmaker.

Will AI change the work of a Cabinetmaker or Bench Carpenter?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.