Patternmakers, Wood earn a median of $49,630 per year ($23.86/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 2.0% through 2035, with about 100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-7032
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Patternmaker, Wood in four numbers
- Median pay
- $49,630a year, or $23.86/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $84K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -2.0%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 100600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025600
- Projected 2035600
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 600 Projected 2035 600 - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school0.7%
- High school57.3%
- Certificate26.5%
- Some college15.6%
Highest education held by patternmakers, wood Segment Value Less than high school 0.7% High school 57.3% Certificate 26.5% Some college 15.6%
Also advertised as: Mold Maker, Pattern Engineer, Pattern Maker, Patternmaker, Wood Pattern Maker, Wood Patternmaker.
Pay
How much do Patternmakers, Wood make?
Every patternmaker, wood in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$49,630
Middle half earn $41,170 to $59,350
- 10th
- $37,600
- 25th
- $41,170
- 75th
- $59,350
- 90th
- $83,780
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,600 |
| 25th | $41,170 |
| Median | $49,630 |
| 75th | $59,350 |
| 90th | $83,780 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $49,630
- Median hourly wage
- $23.86/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $54,240
- People employed
- 220
Versus all US occupations
At $49,630, Patternmakers, Wood earn 3% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $1,350 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $83,780 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,600, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 21% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Pennsylvania pays the most at $55,020, and still leads at $56,389 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Patternmakers, Wood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Pennsylvania | $55,020 | $56,389 | N/A |
Job outlook
Is Patternmaker, Wood a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -2.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Patternmakers, Wood | −2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Patternmakers, Wood to change -2.0% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 0 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 100 openings are projected each year, 16.7% of the 600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Patternmaker, Wood
- 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)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as patternmakers, wood.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)57.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate26.5%
- Some College Courses15.6%
- Less than a High School Diploma0.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 57.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 26.5% |
| Some College Courses | 15.6% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 0.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Patternmaker, Wood do?
Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
Day-to-day tasks
- Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws.
- Lay out patterns on wood stock and draw outlines of units, sectional patterns, or full-scale mock-ups of products, based on blueprint specifications and sketches, and using marking and measuring devices.
- Set up, operate, and adjust a variety of woodworking machines such as bandsaws and lathes to cut and shape sections, parts, and patterns, according to specifications.
- Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
- Repair broken or damaged patterns.
- Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- Glue fillets along interior angles of patterns.
- Construct wooden models, templates, full scale mock-ups, jigs, or molds for shaping parts of products.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
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 dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
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
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Mathematics3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Speaking2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Writing2.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Active Learning | 2.8 |
| Writing | 2.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Operation and Control3.1
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Operations Analysis2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Time Management2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Operations Analysis | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM 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 Patternmaker, Wood?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Patternmaker, Wood |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 4 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
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 creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules.
- Realistic6.6
- Artistic4.1
- Conventional4.0
- Investigative2.1
- Social1.3
- Enterprising1.3
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 Patternmaker, Wood
O*NET related occupations
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
- Production
Molder, Shaper, and Caster, Except Metal and Plastic
$46,170median a year
Most earn $36K to $62K
+5.8%High school
More production careers
Median annual pay, with patternmakers, wood 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
- Patternmaker, Wood$49,630
- 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 |
| Patternmaker, Wood | $49,630 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Patternmaker, Wood appears on
Questions
Patternmaker, Wood: frequently asked questions
How much do Patternmakers, Wood make?
Patternmakers, Wood earn a median of $49,630 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 3% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $23.86/hr. The middle half earn between $41,170 and $59,350. The top 10% earn $83,780 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Patternmaker, Wood?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Patternmakers, Wood. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.3% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Patternmaker, Wood a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 2.0% over 2025–2035, a loss of 0 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Patternmaker, Wood do?
Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings. A core O*NET task: fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Patternmakers, Wood the most?
The highest state medians for Patternmakers, Wood are Pennsylvania ($55,020) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Patternmaker, Wood?
O*NET scores Patternmakers, Wood highest on the Realistic, Artistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with creating, designing and working without a fixed set of rules. 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.