Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
SOC Code: 51-7011
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters carries a 39% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,020 and -1.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 86,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 39% AI exposure, Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters sits 2 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 67% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
27/100
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $46,020
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -1.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 39% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
39% Around the middle lower than 33% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-7011) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Registered Apprenticeship Pathway Available
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters is a recognized registered apprenticeship occupation under the DOL RAPIDS system. Earn while you train, apprentices typically start at ~$16/hr and reach $28–$46/hr upon completion, depending on the specific trade and region.
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
- 2. Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
- 3. Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
- 4. Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
- 5. 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.
- 6. Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
- 7. Estimate the amounts, types, or costs of needed materials.
- 8. Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing.
- 9. Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools.
- 10. Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Analysis
- Equipment Selection
- Troubleshooting
- Judgment and Decision Making
Knowledge Areas
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters has an AI exposure score of 39%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters is projected to decline by 1.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 86,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
Key skills for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters include Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters earn?
The median annual wage for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters is $46,020, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
The typical entry-level education for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (39% here).
- Architects, except landscape and naval · AI exposure 39%
- Biological technicians · AI exposure 39%
- Career/technical education teachers, middle school · AI exposure 39%
- Career/technical education teachers, secondary school · AI exposure 39%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-1.6% here).
- Baggage porters and bellhops · growth -1.6%
- Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants · growth -1.6%
- Kindergarten teachers, except special education · growth -1.6%
- Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education · growth -1.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).