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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

Coursework for 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

This major prepares you for careers needing 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

Skills emphasized by 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.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Woodworking careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Reaction Time — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 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
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Timekeeping software	Time accounting software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Vero Software ALPHACAM	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Inventory control software	Inventory management software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	—
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe Creative Cloud software	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Computer aided design and drafting CADD software	Computer aided design CAD 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
• Planer Hand
• Tight Cooper
• Boat Oar Maker
• Dyer
• Wood Casket Maker
• Veneer Drier
• Tanker
• Wood Casket Assembler
• Dry House Attendant
• Hat Block Maker
• Pipe Maker
• Plywood Matcher
• Sash Sticker

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?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks 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?

Strictly by 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Woodworking	659
Cabinetmaking and Millwork	464
Furniture Design and Manufacturing	70
Wooden Boatbuilding Technology/Technician	41
Woodworking, Other	6

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.