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General Woodworking

Types of Degrees General Woodworking Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Woodworking have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Associate’s Degree	9
Master’s Degree	39

What General Woodworking Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Woodworking build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Woodworking graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Woodworking emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 2.9 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 2.5 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.
• Building and Construction — Importance 2.4 / 5; level 2.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a General Woodworking program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operation and Control — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.5 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General Woodworking careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Reaction Time — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Woodworking graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Controlling Machines and Processes	4 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.8 / 7
Getting Information	3.6 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Woodworking professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Apple macOS	Operating system software	—
Dassault Systemes CATIA	Computer aided design CAD software	—
AS/400 Database	Data base user interface and query software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Vero Software ALPHACAM	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Computerized numerical control CNC software	Industrial control software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Inventory control software	Inventory management software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Woodworking graduates include:

• Tip Inserter
• Stock Checker
• Airplane Woodworker
• Hat Block Maker
• Dry House Attendant
• Wood Veneer Taper
• Smoking Pipe Maker
• Belly Builder
• Veneer Drier
• Sled Maker
• Shaper
• Piano Case Maker
• Timber Framer
• Veneer Marker
• Wood Casket Assembler

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Woodworking graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	73.1%
Less than a high school diploma	20.7%
Postsecondary certificate	4.5%
Bachelor’s degree	1.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Woodworking?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 70.5% of General Woodworking degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	23	29.5%
Men	55	70.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Woodworking graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	56	71.8%
Hispanic or Latino	4	5.1%
Black or African American	1	1.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	2.6%
Race Unknown	13	16.7%
International Students	2	2.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Woodworking Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Woodworking graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$28,034
4 years	$43,408
5 years	$46,526

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $46,526 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in General Woodworking Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General Woodworking graduates earn a median of $43,408 four years after completion — roughly 14% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Woodworking	48.07
Cabinetmaking and Millwork	48.0703
Furniture Design and Manufacturing	48.0702
Wooden Boatbuilding Technology/Technician	48.0704
Woodworking, Other	48.0799

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.