Furniture Design & Manufacturing

Types of Degrees Furniture Design & Manufacturing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many furniture design and manufacturing graduations there were in 2019-2020 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Basic Certificate	54
Bachelor’s Degree	36
Undergraduate Certificate	9
Associate Degree	6

What Furniture Design & Manufacturing Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to furniture design and manufacturing were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Furniture Design and Manufacturing Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills for Furniture Design and Manufacturing Majors

A major in furniture design and manufacturing prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Time Management - Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Furniture Design and Manufacturing Majors

As a furniture design and manufacturing major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.

What Can You Do With a Furniture Design & Manufacturing Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with furniture design and manufacturing:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Woodworkers	3.3%	$31,170

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Furniture Design & Manufacturing?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 83% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of furniture design and manufacturing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	0
White	5
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	1

How Much Do Furniture Design & Manufacturing Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $33,850 to $34,530 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to furniture design and manufacturing. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Furniture Design & Manufacturing

Some degrees associated with furniture design and manufacturing may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for furniture design and manufacturing careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	35.9%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	61.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	3.3%

Online Furniture Design & Manufacturing Programs

In 2019-2020, 9 schools offered a furniture design and manufacturing program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	1	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Furniture Design & Manufacturing Worth It?

The median salary for a furniture design and manufacturing grad is $33,850 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

Trades Related to Furniture Design & Manufacturing

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to furniture design and manufacturing.

Major	Number of Grads
Cabinetmaking & Millwork	386
General Woodworking	76
Other Woodworking	31
Wooden Boatbuilding Technology	0

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.