Best degree programs for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 37 schools train Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $46,680 median wage, 77,170 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 37 schools train cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, graduating 483 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Cabinetmaking and Millwork. The job pays a median of $46,680 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 48.0703 | 483 | 100.0% | 37 | $26,594 | $18,142 |
Top 37 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What cabinetmakers and bench carpenters earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $49,030 | 7,360 | 0.81× | 9 | 106 |
| Texaslimited | $38,340 | 5,530 | 0.79× | 1 | 93 |
| North Carolinalimited | $46,010 | 2,900 | 1.18× | 2 | 57 |
| Alabamalimited | $38,550 | 1,760 | 1.68× | 2 | 53 |
| Minnesotalimited | $48,740 | 2,340 | 1.60× | 2 | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $46,790 | 2,070 | 1.42× | 5 | 36 |
| Georgiamoderate | $42,280 | 3,740 | 1.54× | 3 | 21 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $47,610 | 3,300 | 1.10× | 3 | 17 |
| Utahlimited | $46,390 | 2,120 | 2.46× | 2 | 11 |
| Floridalimited | $46,360 | 3,490 | 0.71× | 1 | 10 |
| Nebraskalimited | $48,600 | 230 | 0.45× | 1 | 10 |
| Idaholimited | $44,870 | 970 | 2.29× | 1 | 6 |
| Mainelimited | $48,150 | 940 | 2.96× | 1 | 5 |
| New Jerseylimited | $51,760 | 790 | 0.37× | 1 | 4 |
| Washingtonlimited | $48,710 | 1,350 | 0.77× | 1 | 2 |
| Arizonalimited | $45,580 | 1,600 | 0.99× | 1 | 1 |
| Kansaslimited | $41,350 | 1,340 | 1.88× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills
- Monitoring3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Mathematics2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Writing2.4
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics4.2
- Building and Construction3.8
- Production and Processing3.7
- Mechanical3.4
- Design3.4
- Engineering and Technology3.0
Abilities
- Finger Dexterity3.9
- Near Vision3.9
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.9
- Manual Dexterity3.9
- Control Precision3.8
- Multilimb Coordination3.6
Core activities
- Getting Information4.2
- Handling and Moving Objects4.1
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.1
- Performing General Physical Activities3.9
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems3.9
- Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.8
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Cabinetmaker
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
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.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 48.0703Cabinetmaking and Millwork
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Cabinetmaker?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Cabinetmaking and Millwork, which awarded 483 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Cabinetmaker?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Woodworking. Together they graduate about 483 people a year.
How much do cabinetmakers and bench carpenters earn?+
The median is $46,680 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $35,650 at the 10th percentile to $63,720 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters growing?+
BLS projects a -1.6% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 8,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
37 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do cabinetmakers and bench carpenters work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Cabinetmaker, Frame Builder, Cabinet Assembler, Cabinet Installer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-7011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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