ESCO 7522.3ISCO-08 7522
Cooper
Also known as: master barrel builder, barrel constuctor, master cooper, wooden barrel constuctor, barrel assembler, wooden barrel assembler
About this occupation
Coopers build barrels and related products made of segments of wood, like wooden buckets. They shape the wood, fit hoops around them, and shape the barrel to hold the product, which contemporarily is usually premium alcoholic beverages.
Essential skills and knowledge
- manufacture of wooden barrels
- clean wood surface
- bend staves
- finish barrels
- wood cuts
- woodworking tools
- adjust properties of cut
- sand wood
- char barrels
- types of wood
- assemble barrels
- wood moisture content
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Woodworkers, All Other (O*NET 51-7099.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
US median pay: US$44,530 a year (2025), 5,490 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.