Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters earn a median of $46,680 per year ($22.44/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 2.9% through 2035, with about 6,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-7011
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter in four numbers
- Median pay
- $46,680a year, or $22.44/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $64K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -2.9%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−2.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −2.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6,90081,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202581.8K
- Projected 203579.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 81.8K Projected 2035 79.4K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Angled Cabinetmaker, Assembler, Cabinet Assembler, Cabinet Builder, Cabinet Door Maker, Cabinet Installer.
Pay
How much do Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters make?
Every cabinetmaker and bench carpenter in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$46,680
Middle half earn $38,830 to $55,760
- 10th
- $35,650
- 25th
- $38,830
- 75th
- $55,760
- 90th
- $63,720
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,650 |
| 25th | $38,830 |
| Median | $46,680 |
| 75th | $55,760 |
| 90th | $63,720 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $46,680
- Median hourly wage
- $22.44/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $48,290
- People employed
- 77,170
Versus all US occupations
At $46,680, Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters earn 8% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $4,300 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 3% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $63,720 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,650, a gap of 1.8×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 15% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Delaware pays the most at $60,090, and still leads at $60,206 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Delaware | $60,090 | $60,206 | 60 |
| 2New York | $58,680 | $54,373 | 2,470 |
| 3Connecticut | $58,100 | $56,076 | 740 |
| 4Massachusetts | $58,040 | $54,881 | 1,440 |
| 5New Hampshire | $57,980 | $55,662 | 190 |
| 6Vermont | $57,620 | $58,821 | 360 |
| 7Rhode Island | $52,800 | $51,623 | 80 |
| 8New Jersey | $51,760 | $47,571 | 790 |
| 9Illinois | $50,160 | $50,181 | 2,350 |
| 10Arkansas | $50,070 | $57,593 | 920 |
Job outlook
Is Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -2.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters | −2.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters to change -2.9% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 2,400 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 6,900 openings are projected each year, 8.4% of the 81,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of woodworkers is projected to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Overall demand for woodworkers is expected to be reduced by automation, especially the use of computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines in wood product manufacturing. However, demand for some wood products, such as those used in home renovation projects and outdoor structures for restaurants and other businesses, may sustain demand for some woodworkers.
Getting in
How to become a Cabinetmaker and 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 fully proficient may take several months to more than a year of on-the-job training. Woodworkers also must be able to use computer-controlled machinery.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
Full BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook entryThe work
What does a Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter 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.
Woodworkers manufacture a variety of products, such as cabinets and furniture, using wood, veneers, and laminates. They often combine and incorporate different materials into wood.
Day-to-day tasks
- Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
- Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
- 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.
- 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.
- Repair or alter wooden furniture, cabinetry, fixtures, paneling, or other pieces.
- 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.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most woodworkers work full time during regular business hours. Work schedules vary for some woodworkers.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Active Listening2.8
- Mathematics2.8
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Active Learning2.6
- Writing2.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Active Listening | 2.8 |
| Mathematics | 2.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.6 |
| Writing | 2.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.4
- Quality Control Analysis3.3
- Operation and Control3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.9
- Operations Analysis2.9
- Troubleshooting2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.3 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.9 |
| Operations Analysis | 2.9 |
| Troubleshooting | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Facilities management software
- Project management software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional3.4
- Artistic2.5
- Investigative2.0
- Enterprising1.2
- Social1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
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Woodworking Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Except Sawing
$43,380median a year
Most earn $32K to $57K
−2.5%High school - Construction and Extraction
- Production
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More production careers
Median annual pay, with cabinetmakers and bench carpenters highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter$46,680
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter | $46,680 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter appears on
Questions
Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter: frequently asked questions
How much do Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters make?
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters earn a median of $46,680 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 8% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.44/hr. The middle half earn between $38,830 and $55,760. The top 10% earn $63,720 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.
Is Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.9% over 2025–2035, a loss of 2,400 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 6,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter do?
Woodworkers manufacture a variety of products, such as cabinets and furniture, using wood, veneers, and laminates. A core O*NET task: match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters the most?
The highest state medians for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters are Delaware ($60,090), New York ($58,680), Connecticut ($58,100) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter?
O*NET scores Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISTP. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.