Patternmakers, Wood
Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed
Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
Median pay: $49,630/yr (U.S. national, May 2025)
Typical range nationwide (10th–90th percentile). This is a population snapshot, not a personal prediction - actual pay varies by location, employer, and experience.
Job outlook: -5% projected growth, 2024–2034 — declining.
About 0 openings per year, on average, over the decade.
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS and Employment Projections.
• 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's the median pay for Patternmakers, Wood?
The median pay for Patternmakers, Wood is $49,630 per year, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What's the job outlook for Patternmakers, Wood?
Employment for Patternmakers, Wood is projected to change -5% from 2024 to 2034 - declining.
What education is typically required for Patternmakers, Wood?
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
How many job openings are there each year for Patternmakers, Wood?
About 0 openings per year, on average, over the decade.