Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Production
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-7011
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.
• Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools.
• Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
• Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
• 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.
• Perform final touch-ups with sandpaper or steel wool.

Tools and technology

Autodesk AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows, Adjustable hand wrenches, Adjustable jigs, Angle dividers, Awls, Back saws, Band clamps, Bandsaws, Bar clamps

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• 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

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.