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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters?
Task-level automation exposure for Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters: 20 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
21%
weighted task index
20 of 20 tasks scored
Median Salary
$46,680 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Medium
77,170 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
-2.9%
employment change
6,900 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 50 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$22,530 – $60,090
Highest medians
Delaware $60,090
New York $58,680
Connecticut $58,100
Massachusetts $58,040
New Hampshire $57,980
Lowest medians
Puerto Rico $22,530
Oklahoma $36,630
Texas $38,340
Alabama $38,550
Mississippi $38,800
State figures come from the 51-7011 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 21%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 62%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 3%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 0%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 25/100
Low
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
20 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 9%
2 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 11%
3 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 80%
15 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#12211 · Core · 28% automatable
Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
physical manipulation — Hands-on dimensional measurement of workpieces
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
#12210 · Core · 5% automatable
Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
physical manipulation — Wood assembly requires hands-on fitting and fastening
Assemble wood products.
#12219 · Core · 8% automatable
Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
physical manipulation — Manual trimming of workpieces
Trim excess material from workpieces.
#12213 · Core · 22% automatable
Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
physical manipulation — Marking reference points requires hands-on measurement
Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
#12217 · Core · 8% automatable
Cut timber to the right size, and shape and trim parts of joints to ensure a snug fit, using hand tools, such as planes, chisels, or wood files.
physical manipulation — Manual trimming of workpieces
Trim excess material from workpieces. Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
#12218 · Core · 30% automatable
Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
visual inspection — Vision AI assists but physical comparison is human
Compare physical characteristics of materials or products to specifications or standards.
#12212 · Core · 10% automatable
Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
physical manipulation — Woodworking equipment needs dexterity and material feel
Operate woodworking equipment.
#12216 · Core · 73% automatable
Establish the specifications of articles to be constructed or repaired, or plan the methods or operations for shaping or assembling parts, based on blueprints, drawings, diagrams, or oral or written instructions.
information retrieval — Parse specs and materials from orders
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements. Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
#12220 · Core · 12% automatable
Bore holes for insertion of screws or dowels, by hand or using boring machines.
physical manipulation — Drilling parts requires physical tool operation
Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
#12215 · Core · 5% automatable
Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
physical manipulation — Wood assembly requires hands-on fitting and fastening
Assemble wood products.
#12214 · Core · 5% automatable
Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing.
physical manipulation — Wood assembly requires hands-on fitting and fastening
Assemble wood products.
#12224 · Core · 10% automatable
Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools.
physical manipulation — Attaching accessories requires manual fitting
Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
#12223 · Core · 4% automatable
Perform final touch-ups with sandpaper or steel wool.
physical manipulation — Shaping wood edges requires hands-on tools
Shape surfaces or edges of wood workpieces.
#12226 · Core · 8% automatable
Repair or alter wooden furniture, cabinetry, fixtures, paneling, or other pieces.
physical manipulation — Hands-on upholstery and furniture repair in unstructured materials
Repair furniture or upholstery.
#12228 · Supplemental · 38% automatable
Design furniture, using computer-aided drawing programs.
decision support — AI aids furniture concepts; ergonomics and fabrication human
Operate computers or computerized equipment. Design furniture.
#12221 · Supplemental · 55% automatable
Program computers to operate machinery.
decision support — Programming production equipment needs physical setup and verification
Program equipment to perform production tasks.
#12229 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Dip, brush, or spray assembled articles with protective or decorative finishes, such as stain, varnish, paint, or lacquer.
physical manipulation — Applying finishes requires hands-on coating work
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
#20822 · Supplemental · 50% automatable
Draw up detailed specifications and discuss projects with customers.
interpersonal — Order spec negotiation with customers is relational
Confer with customers or designers to determine order specifications.
#12222 · Supplemental · 72% automatable
Estimate the amounts, types, or costs of needed materials.
data analysis — Cost estimation from inputs; human validates
Estimate costs of products, services, or materials. Estimate material requirements for production.
#12227 · Supplemental · 10% automatable
Apply Masonite, formica, or vinyl surfacing materials.
physical manipulation — Applying finishes requires hands-on coating work
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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