Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
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.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
What the work involves
- Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
- Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
- Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
- Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
- Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing.
- Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
- 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.
- 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.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (76.4% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (26.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (29.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 92% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 89% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 96% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 88% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 82% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 85% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 88% of occupations compared | 53% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 62% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 8.11%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Contact with others most of the time: 15.44%
- Constant contact with others: 32.43%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 41.04%
- Fairly important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Important: 12.34%
- Very important: 11.96%
- Extremely important: 8.11%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly important: 18.17%
- Important: 11.39%
- Very important: 10.21%
- Extremely important: 34.83%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 8.11%
- Very little freedom: 23.37%
- Limited freedom: 4.5%
- Some freedom: 37.66%
- A lot of freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 5.98%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 8.34%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 43.86%
- Every day: 16.42%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 20.35%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 8.43%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 18.3%
- Every day: 0.99%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 52.86%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 10.21%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 6.93%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 30%
- Every day: 0%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 4.3%
- Fairly serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Serious: 15.99%
- Very serious: 18.55%
- Extremely serious: 24.78%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 51-7011.00 · SOC 51-7011 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8