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Custom millwork & casework
Cabinet Maker
Woodworking as a job, which means production, not leisure.
Typical pay
$38k-$80k
How you get in
Apprenticeship or woodworking program, 1-4 years
Outlook
Steady; custom and high-end residential is the strong segment
Cabinet makers build custom cabinetry and millwork in a shop and install it on site. It is genuine craft work with real machinery, and the shop environment is far more controlled than most construction trades.
A day in the life
- 7:00aReview the cut list and shop drawings
- 7:30aBreak down sheet goods on the panel saw
- 10:00aMachine joinery and edge banding
- 12:00pLunch
- 12:30pAssembly, clamping and hardware
- 3:00pSand and prep for finish, or head out to install
How to get in
Shop helper to cabinet maker
Duration
1-3 years
Cost
$0 — paid from day one
Credential
None
- Get hired sweeping and stocking at a cabinet shop
- Learn machines one at a time under supervision
- Move to assembly, then to machining and layout
- Learn CNC programming — it separates you in modern shops
Woodworking or millwork program
Duration
9-24 months
Cost
$5,000-$30,000
Credential
Certificate or associate in cabinetmaking or wood technology
- Complete a woodworking or millwork program
- Learn joinery, finishing and CAD or CNC
- Enter a shop above helper level
- Some programs include architectural millwork standards
Open your own shop
Duration
3-8 years of experience first
Cost
$25,000-$150,000 for machinery and space
Credential
Business license and insurance
- Learn production speed and accurate estimating first
- Buy machinery gradually — used industrial equipment holds value
- Build relationships with designers, builders and architects
- Specialize in a niche where margins support custom work
What people love
- · Indoor, climate-controlled shop work
- · Real craft with a visible finished product
- · Custom shops value skill highly
- · Very achievable to open a one-person shop
What wears people down
- · Dust and noise require constant protection
- · Serious injury risk on saws and shapers
- · Production shops can be repetitive
- · Custom shop margins are thin