Cooper (Barrel Maker)

Builds the oak barrels used to age bourbon, whiskey, and wine.

A day in the life

You raise a barrel from oak staves inside steel hoops, char the inside over fire until it flames, and test it for leaks. A distillery will age bourbon in it for years.

Pay over a career

Starting
$34k
Typical
$45k
High
$60k

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. On-the-job training at a cooperage.

Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.

Outlook

Growing faster than average. Bourbon boom keeps cooperages hiring.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Barrel-making plants add machines for shaping and toasting, so fewer hands may be needed; fitting staves still needs skill.

Could start right away

Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to cooperages (barrel makers) near bourbon and wine country; they train new hires on the line

Start now, in high school

Classes: Woodshop, Geometry.

Official data: O*NET occupation 51-7011.

More Artisan & Heritage Trades careers

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.