Best degree programs for Model Makers, Wood, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 39 schools train Model Makers, Wood. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $56,550 median wage, 280 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 39 schools train model makers, wood, graduating 511 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Cabinetmaking and Millwork. The job pays a median of $56,550 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About model makers, wood
Construct full-size and scale wooden precision models of products. Includes wood jig builders and loft workers.
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.
2 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 | 94.5% | 37 | $26,594 | $18,142 |
| 2 | CIP 48.0704 | 28 | 5.5% | 2 | $26,594 | $18,142 |
Top 39 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What model makers, wood earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
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
- Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications, and consult with designers to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
- Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, screws, and other fasteners.
- Verify dimensions and contours of models during hand-forming processes, using templates and measuring devices.
- Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- Plan, lay out, and draw outlines of units, sectional patterns, or full-scale mock-ups of products.
- Construct wooden models, patterns, templates, full scale mock-ups, and molds for parts of products and production tools.
- Select wooden stock, determine layouts, and mark layouts of parts on stock, using precision equipment such as scribers, squares, and protractors.
- Mark identifying information on patterns, parts, and templates to indicate assembly methods and details.
Skills
- Monitoring3.1
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Active Learning2.8
- Writing2.6
- Mathematics2.4
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing4.0
- Design3.8
- Building and Construction3.6
- Engineering and Technology3.4
- Mathematics3.4
- Administration and Management3.4
Abilities
- Near Vision3.9
- Finger Dexterity3.8
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.8
- Manual Dexterity3.5
- Control Precision3.5
- Information Ordering3.4
Core activities
- Handling and Moving Objects4.2
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.2
- Performing General Physical Activities4.1
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.1
- Getting Information3.9
- Thinking Creatively3.8
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Model Maker, Wood
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Model Makers, Wood2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 48.0703Cabinetmaking and Millwork
- 48.0704Wooden Boatbuilding Technology/Technician
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 Model Maker, Wood?+
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, 94.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Model Maker, Wood?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Woodworking. Together they graduate about 511 people a year.
How much do model makers, wood earn?+
The median is $56,550 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $34,800 at the 10th percentile to $98,050 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 model makers, wood growing?+
BLS projects a -4.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
39 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 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 model makers, wood work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Craftsman, Model Maker, Sample Maker, Sample Builder among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-7031.
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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