Runs computer-controlled routers that cut wood parts for cabinets and furniture.
You load full sheets of plywood, run programs that cut 40 cabinet parts at once, and check every piece.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 0 years after high school. On-the-job training; CAD/CAM skills help.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Woodworking Technology.
Shrinking. No separate BLS projection for this specialty; rating is an estimate based on industry trends.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Nesting software and auto-loading machines cut the operator's role; fewer people are needed to run each machine.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to cabinet and furniture factories for CNC operator trainee jobs
Classes: Geometry, Woodshop, CAD or engineering design.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-7042.
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.