Model Makers, Wood
Pay and outlook shown for
New workers start near $34,800; experienced workers reach $98,050. About 280 people do this job in United States.
Job outlook
U.S. projection, 2024 to 2034.
- Employment change
- -5%
- Openings a year
- 100
- Employed in 2024
- 900
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent · Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Alamo Colleges programs that lead here
No program is mapped to this career yet. Many careers start from a transfer pre-major or a related program.
Browse all programsSkills this career uses
The skills O*NET rates most important for the job, with how much of each the work needs on a 1 to 7 scale.
- Monitoring3.0
- Operations Monitoring3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Time Management2.8
- Operation and Control3.0
What the work is
Construct full-size and scale wooden precision models of products. Includes wood jig builders and loft workers.
- Verify dimensions and contours of models during hand-forming processes, using templates and measuring devices.
- Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications, and consult with designers to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
- Set up, operate, and adjust a variety of woodworking machines such as bandsaws and planers to cut and shape sections, parts, and patterns, according to specifications.
- Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, screws, and other fasteners.
- Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- Select wooden stock, determine layouts, and mark layouts of parts on stock, using precision equipment such as scribers, squares, and protractors.
Education people in this job have
Share of workers by highest education, from O*NET surveys. It shows what others did, not what you must do.
- High school or less51%
- Certificate31%
- Some college4%
- Bachelor's degree14%
Job zone 3, medium preparation: Training, an associate degree, or a few years of related experience.
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