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Patternmakers, Wood: Career Profile
Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
The Daily Work of Patternmakers, Wood Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of patternmakers, wood span:
- Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups.
- Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws.
- Lay out patterns on wood stock and draw outlines of units, sectional patterns, or full-scale mock-ups of products, based on blueprint specifications and sketches, and using marking and measuring devices.
- Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- Divide patterns into sections according to shapes of castings to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
- Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors.
- Correct patterns to compensate for defects in castings.
- Set up, operate, and adjust a variety of woodworking machines such as bandsaws and lathes to cut and shape sections, parts, and patterns, according to specifications.
What Patternmakers, Wood Need to Know
Top patternmakers, wood draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Patternmakers, Wood Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Forms Builder
- Mold Forms Builder
- Mold Maker
- Pattern Engineer
- Pattern Maker
- Pattern Worker
- Patternmaker
- Production Patternmaker
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 849,924 patternmakers, wood working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +14.0% over the projection horizon.
Patternmakers, Wood Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $69,107 |
| Hourly median | $33.22 |
| 10th percentile | $40,268 |
| 25th percentile | $54,687 |
| 75th percentile | $83,526 |
| 90th percentile | $97,946 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Patternmakers, Wood Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $54,170 |
| Ohio | $43,610 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for patternmakers, wood differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $54,170 | 100.0% | 7.07 |
Top Industries Employing Patternmakers, Wood
The largest employers of patternmakers, wood work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 120 | $52,800 |
Below are examples of industries where patternmakers, wood work:
Tech Stack
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for patternmakers, wood is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Patternmakers, Wood
Most patternmakers, wood positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Boilermakers (Supplemental)
- Carpenters (Supplemental)
- Sheet Metal Workers (Primary-Long)
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (Primary-Short)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Machinists (Supplemental)
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Aspiring patternmakers, wood commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-7032.00 (Patternmakers, Wood).
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