Model Makers, Wood
Construct full-size and scale wooden precision models of products. Includes wood jig builders and loft workers.
Most important skills
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Active Listening
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Building and Construction
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Mechanical
- English Language
What the work involves
- Verify dimensions and contours of models during hand-forming processes, using templates and measuring devices.
- Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications, and consult with designers to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
- Set up, operate, and adjust a variety of woodworking machines such as bandsaws and planers to cut and shape sections, parts, and patterns, according to specifications.
- Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, screws, and other fasteners.
- Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- Select wooden stock, determine layouts, and mark layouts of parts on stock, using precision equipment such as scribers, squares, and protractors.
- Construct wooden models, patterns, templates, full scale mock-ups, and molds for parts of products and production tools.
- Mark identifying information on patterns, parts, and templates to indicate assembly methods and details.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (30.8% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (44.9%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (30.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Model Makers, Wood 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 86% of occupations compared | 35% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 88% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 90% of occupations compared | 37% of surveyed respondents chose “Important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 93% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 73% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 74% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 87% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 74% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: low
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: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 27%
- Contact with others about half the time: 3.1%
- Contact with others most of the time: 35.45%
- Constant contact with others: 34.45%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 4.57%
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: 3.08%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 11.46%
- Fairly important: 1.55%
- Important: 36.9%
- Very important: 24.59%
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Limited freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Some freedom: 13.21%
- A lot of freedom: 26.51%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2024
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 15.11%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Conflict situations
- Never: 27.06%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a week or more but not every day: 10.5%
- Every day: 8.97%
n = 16, Incumbent 08/2024
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 29.06%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0%
- Every day: 0%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2024
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 21.89%
- Fairly serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very serious: 3.13%
- Extremely serious: 12.17%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2024
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Etchers and Engravers
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers
Closeness 92/100 · job zone -1
- Analyze
Tile and Stone Setters
Closeness 91/100 · job zone -1
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 51-7031.00 · SOC 51-7031 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8