Cabinetmaker Job Outlook and Salary: Will Pay Keep Growing?
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Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters earned a median of $46,680 a year, or $22.44 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is about 30% more than the $35,790 median in May 2019. The rise slowed to 1.4% in the latest year, though, and BLS projects employment in the occupation to fall 2.9% from 2025 to 2035.
In short, cabinetmaker pay has grown, but raises from here are likely to depend more on your skills, the type of shop you work in, and where you live than on the market lifting everyone's pay.
Cabinetmaker vs Related Trades
Occupation | Median pay (BLS May 2025) |
|---|---|
First-line supervisors of construction trades | $79,920 |
Carpenters | $60,580 |
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | $46,680 |
Woodworkers (all) | $45,310 |
Furniture finishers | $44,540 |
Cabinetmakers earn more than furniture finishers and slightly more than woodworkers as a whole, but about $13,900 less than carpenters at the median. Carpenters also have a different outlook: BLS projects carpenter employment to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, while cabinetmaker employment declines. The guide on how long it takes to become a carpenter covers the training path for cabinetmakers weighing a move into construction carpentry.
How to Protect and Grow Your Cabinetmaker Income
Specialize in High Value Work
BLS ties the trade's decline to CNC automation in wood product manufacturing. Custom cabinetry, architectural millwork, and fine finishing lean on judgment, such as matching grain, fitting curved pieces, or finishing high-end hardwoods, which is where a skilled cabinetmaker adds value beyond what a machine cuts.
Learn Machine Programming and Digital Design
If automation is what is shrinking the trade, programming and running those machines is the skill the change calls for. Learning CAD and CAM software, and asking for time on the shop's CNC router, builds that skill.
Move to a Higher Paying State or Metro
The state medians range from about $36,600 in Oklahoma to more than $58,000 in New York and much of New England. A move only pays off if the higher wage outruns the higher cost of living, so compare rent, taxes, and job counts before relocating.
Consider Installation and Remodeling Work
BLS notes that home renovation projects may sustain demand for some woodworkers. Cabinetmakers who can install as well as build can follow that demand into remodeling work, where residential building construction paid a median of $58,960 in May 2025.
Build a Reputation and Portfolio
Photos of finished kitchens, built-ins, and furniture show an employer or customer what you can do faster than a resume. Keeping a record of your projects, including the problems you solved on each one, gives you something concrete to point to in a job interview or a raise discussion.
Negotiate Using BLS Percentiles
Bring the BLS median for your state and, where available, your metro area, along with the 75th percentile as a target if you have the skills to back it up. Add your specific skills, such as CNC programming, finishing, or installation, and the projects you have led. Asking soon after you take on new responsibility, or finish a demanding project, gives the request more weight.
What to Ask For Beyond Hourly Pay
Base pay is only part of the offer. Ask about overtime rules, tool allowances or shop-provided tools, paid training and certification costs, health coverage, paid time off, and retirement contributions.
Is Cabinetmaking a Good Career in 2027?
Is cabinet making a good career? It depends on what you want from the work.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
No degree required; on-the-job training | Employment projected to decline 2.9% from 2025 to 2035 |
Median pay up about 30% since 2019 | Latest pay growth only 1.4%, below inflation |
About 6,900 openings a year | Median $4,300 below the all-occupation median of $50,980, and below $50,000 in 39 of the 49 states with published data |
Clear paths into specialization, design, or shop ownership | Physical work with exposure to dust, noise, and machinery |
BLS notes that woodworkers may encounter machinery noise and wood dust, often wear a respirator or mask, may need hearing protection, often stand for long periods, and must be able to lift bulky, heavy pieces of wood. For a look at a related trade's tradeoffs, see whether carpentry is a good job.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a cabinetmaker make a year?
The median cabinetmaker salary was $46,680 a year in May 2025, according to BLS data for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters. The middle 80% earned between $35,650 and $63,720.
How much does a cabinetmaker make per hour?
The BLS hourly median was $22.44 in May 2025. Job postings average $24.01 an hour on Indeed and $21.40 on ZipRecruiter.
Will cabinetmaker pay keep growing?
Median pay rose 30.4% from 2019 to 2025 but only 1.4% in the latest year, below inflation. Future growth is likely to depend more on skills, shop type, and location than on market-wide increases.
What is the job outlook for cabinetmakers?
BLS projects employment of cabinetmakers and bench carpenters to decline 2.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,900 openings a year from workers who retire or change careers.
Is cabinetmaking a dying trade?
No, but it is shrinking slowly. BLS ties the decline to automation, especially CNC machines, while replacement openings keep jobs available for skilled cabinetmakers.
What is the entry level cabinetmaker salary?
The lowest-paid 10% of cabinetmakers earned less than $35,650 a year in May 2025, or about $17.14 an hour. BLS publishes no figure by years of experience, so this percentile is the closest public measure of entry-level pay.
What do experienced cabinetmakers earn?
The BLS 75th percentile, a reasonable benchmark for experienced cabinetmakers, was $55,760 in May 2025.
What is the highest salary a cabinetmaker can make?
The top 10% of cabinetmakers earned more than $63,720 in May 2025. Pay beyond that usually comes from supervision, design, or owning a shop, which BLS does not measure for the self-employed.
Which state pays cabinetmakers the most?
Delaware had the highest state median at $60,090 in May 2025, though from a small sample of 60 workers. New York, at $58,680 with 2,470 jobs, was the highest among states with a large workforce.
Which state pays cabinetmakers the least?
Oklahoma had the lowest state median at $36,630 in May 2025. Puerto Rico was lower at $22,530.
Do cabinetmakers need a degree?
No. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with moderate-term on-the-job training.
Do cabinetmakers need a license?
BLS does not list a license requirement for woodworkers, and it describes credentials as not required. Installation work can fall under state or local contractor licensing, so check the rules where you plan to work.
Why does Glassdoor show a higher cabinetmaker salary?
Glassdoor's average runs well above the BLS median, likely because its figures mix in senior, project, or owner roles. The BLS median is based on an employer survey of wage and salary workers and is the more reliable benchmark for typical pay.
How can a cabinetmaker earn more?
Specialize in custom or high-value work, learn CNC programming and CAD, add installation or design skills, take on lead roles, move to a higher-paying market, or open a shop once you have the experience and the capital.
How much do self-employed cabinetmakers make?
No government source publishes income for self-employed cabinetmakers, and the BLS wage survey does not cover the self-employed. Income depends on pricing, overhead, and how steady the work is, and it can be higher or lower than an employee's pay.
Planning a Cabinetmaking Career as Pay Growth Slows
The $46,680 median is up about 30% since 2019, but most of that gain has gone to keeping up with prices, and the latest increase was only 1.4%. With employment projected to shrink 2.9% over the next decade and about 6,900 openings a year, pay can keep growing for cabinetmakers who build CNC and design skills, specialize in custom work, or choose a higher-paying location or business model, but not for those waiting on market-wide raises. Dreambound lists training programs by trade and location across the United States. Wage figures here come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025 unless a job board is named.
