Cabinet maker
Also known as: maker of kitchen cabinets, craftsman cabinet maker, maker of settees, maker of beds, hand crafted furniture builder, hand crafted furniture maker
About this occupation
Cabinet makers build cabinets or other pieces of furniture by cutting, shaping and fitting pieces of wood. They use different kind of power and hand tools, such as lathes, planers and saws.
Essential skills and knowledge
- woodturning
- apply wood finishes
- wood products
- operate drilling equipment
- repair furniture frames
- technical drawings
- clean wood surface
- design original furniture
- operate wood sawing equipment
- furniture trends
- sanding techniques
- tend boring machine
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters (O*NET 51-7011.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Artistic
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management
US median pay: US$46,680 a year (2025), 77,170 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- WoodworkO*NET: Building and ConstructionImportant (3.2)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.1)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Model Makers, Wood
- Furniture Finishers
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Carpenters
- Patternmakers, Wood
- Upholsterers
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. 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. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.