Career profile for Cabinetmaker

What does a Cabinetmaker do?

Cabinetmakers 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.

What kind of tasks does a Cabinetmaker perform regularly?

Cabinetmakers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following 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.
Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
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.
Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing.
Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools.
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.
Perform final touch-ups with sandpaper or steel wool.
Bore holes for insertion of screws or dowels, by hand or using boring machines.
Repair or alter wooden furniture, cabinetry, fixtures, paneling, or other pieces.

The above responsibilities are specific to Cabinetmakers. More generally, Cabinetmakers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Controlling Machines and Processes		Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Controlling Machines and Processes

Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

What is a Cabinetmaker salary?

The median salary for a Cabinetmaker is $36,710, and the average salary is $38,900. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Cabinetmaker salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Cabinetmakers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Cabinetmakers earn less than $25,310 per year, 25% earn less than $29,530, 75% earn less than $46,500, and 90% earn less than $57,460.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Cabinetmakers is expected to change by 8.9%, and there should be roughly 11,000 open positions for Cabinetmakers every year.

Median annual salary: $36,710
Typical salary range: $25,310 - $57,460
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 8.9%

What personality traits are common among Cabinetmakers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Cabinetmaker are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Cabinetmakers typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Cabinetmaker tend to value Relationships, Support, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Cabinetmakers moderately value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Second, Cabinetmakers moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Lastly, Cabinetmakers moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Cabinetmakers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Cabinetmakers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Persistence		Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Persistence

Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

What education and training do Cabinetmakers need?

Working as a Cabinetmaker usually requires a high school diploma.

Cabinetmakers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Cabinetmakers

17.7% did not complete high school or secondary school
47.0% completed high school or secondary school
18.3% completed some college coursework
8.2% earned a Associate's degree
6.9% earned a Bachelor's degree
1.2% earned a Master's degree
0.7% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Cabinetmakers

Cabinetmakers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as mathematics, building and construction, or production and processing knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Cabinetmakers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Design		Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Important Abilities needed by Cabinetmakers

Cabinetmakers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Cabinetmakers need abilities such as arm-hand steadiness, manual dexterity, and finger dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Cabinetmakers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Finger Dexterity		The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Control Precision		The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Finger Dexterity

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Control Precision

The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

Critical Skills needed by Cabinetmakers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Cabinetmakers frequently use skills like operations monitoring, quality control analysis, and monitoring to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Cabinetmakers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Operations Monitoring		Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis		Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Operation and Control		Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Cabinetmaker

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