Occupation salary profile

Patternmakers, Wood

SOC 51-7032 BLS OEWS May 2025

Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.

National median · BLS
$49,630
▼ -5.5% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$54,240
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
220
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Patternmakers, Wood

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$37,600
25th$41,170
Median (50th)$49,630
75th$59,350
90th — top pay$83,780

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Patternmakers, Wood

BLS projects employment of patternmakers, wood to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
600 → 600
+0 jobs
Projected change
-2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
64.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Patternmakers, Wood

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Operation and Control3.1
  • Operations Monitoring3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Mathematics3.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Mathematics4.0
  • Design3.6
  • Engineering and Technology3.6
  • Mechanical3.6
  • Building and Construction3.3
  • Administration and Management3.3
  • Production and Processing3.2
  • Customer and Personal Service3.1
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Outlook3D Systems Geomagic Design XDelcam PowerMILLMastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What patternmakers, wood do

  • 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.
Also called
Mold MakerPattern MakerPatternmakerWood Pattern MakerPattern EngineerWood PatternmakerWood Shop MoldmakerWoodshop Worker
More job titles for this occupation (6)
Forms BuilderMold Forms BuilderPattern WorkerProduction PatternmakerWood Die MakerWood Experimental Mechanic

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.