AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-7011.00
Will AI replace Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters?
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters: AI can already handle 1 of 20 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 20 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications. | Estimated | Standard | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Design furniture, using computer-aided drawing programs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Estimate the amounts, types, or costs of needed materials. | Observed | Standard | |
| Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair or alter wooden furniture, cabinetry, fixtures, paneling, or other pieces. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Perform final touch-ups with sandpaper or steel wool. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Bore holes for insertion of screws or dowels, by hand or using boring machines. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Dip, brush, or spray assembled articles with protective or decorative finishes, such as stain, varnish, paint, or lacquer. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Draw up detailed specifications and discuss projects with customers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply Masonite, formica, or vinyl surfacing materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Program computers to operate machinery. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 20 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 19 of 20. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 31% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 35% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 65% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 77,170
- Median annual wage
- $46,680
- Middle half of earners
- $38,830 to $55,760
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -1.6%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Carpenters 73% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure23
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure24
- Model Makers, Wood 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure34
- Furniture Finishers 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure21
- Patternmakers, Wood 65% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure25
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters and AI
Will AI replace Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters?
AI already handles 1 of the 20 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 26 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -1.6% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters?
26 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 20 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 19 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 31% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 65% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters, and what do they earn?
77,170 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $46,680 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.6% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/cabinetmakers-and-bench-carpenters
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