cabinet maker
Cabinet makers build cabinets or other pieces of furniture by cutting, shaping and fitting pieces of wood. They use different kind of power and hand tools, such as lathes, planers and saws.
cabinet maker cabinet makers build cabinets or other pieces of furniture by cutting, shaping and fitting pieces of wood. They use different kind of power and hand tools, such as lathes, planers and saws. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include furniture trends, woodturning, technical drawings, construction products, sanding techniques.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £33,078 a year for Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5442). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only cabinet maker, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- English Language
What you'd actually 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.
- Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
- Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
- 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.
- Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does cabinet maker do?
Cabinet makers build cabinets or other pieces of furniture by cutting, shaping and fitting pieces of wood. They use different kind of power and hand tools, such as lathes, planers and saws.
What skills does cabinet maker need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include furniture trends, woodturning, technical drawings, construction products, sanding techniques, wood products. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace cabinet maker?
Our AI-durability model gives cabinet maker a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.