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Boston Career Explorer

Production

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.

Also called: Angled Cabinetmaker, Assembler, Cabinet Assembler, Cabinet Builder, Cabinet Door Maker, Cabinet Installer

Median pay in Greater Boston
$59,120
$28.43/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
790
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+1.2%
160 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$45,430$48,880$59,120$70,980$80,480

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
  • Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
  • Cut timber to the right size, and shape and trim parts of joints to ensure a snug fit, using hand tools, such as planes, chisels, or wood files.
  • Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure8 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 6
  • Language-model AIOE 6
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 12

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with reading plans or working out measurements before cutting. Cutting, shaping, sanding, and fitting wood joints by hand and machine remain skilled, hands-on work.

Likely to change

  • Reviewing plans and working out measurements
  • Checking dimensions against specifications

Still relies on people

  • Cutting and shaping joints for a snug fit
  • Sanding and preparing surfaces for finishing

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

    Cutting materials to plans and trimming for tight joints carry over. Floor layers earn $98,290, with 11.3% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$39,170 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +11.3%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Glaziers

    Reading blueprints and checking plumb and fit build on your precision work. Glaziers train through an apprenticeship and earn $107,610.

    Pay difference
    +$48,490 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Measuring, marking, and laying out work carry over. Brickmasons train through an apprenticeship, earn $96,960, and have very low AI exposure.

    Pay difference
    +$37,840 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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