There are a number of option for making money in woodworking. Working in the industry is an obvious way, but may or may not be exactly what you are looking for.

Life as a Cabinetmaker

Would you do it all over again?' asks a cabinet shop owner after five years of struggling with business realities. Heartfelt responses prove that building cabinets is no easy way to make a buck.

Woodworking: Wages and Benefits

I'm not here to fool anyone, the wages of a woodworker are not very high, especially when just starting out. Starting salaries are close to minimum wage. The averages, even after five years of work, are fairly low at about $14/hr. Only the very experienced, usually after ten years of woodworking, will someone get $18-$20/hr. Finding a job with benefits can also be fairly difficult.

A Woodworking Career - Overview

Woodworking is a vast field, and a career in woodworking can mean many things. Generally, the majority of woodworkers would fall into the category of cabinetmakers. Cabinetmakers are in demand due to housing construction and renovations. Furniture makers also form a large part of the woodworking industry.

Carpenters What is this job like?

Carpenters build many things like buildings and boats from wood and other materials. They construct, erect, install, and repair structures and other fixtures. To do this, they cut, fit, and join the various materials together. Carpenters who work for a special construction contractor do only one or two things, like forming molds for concrete or building a frame.

Dangers of Woodworking

Another reality of woodworking is that it exposes you to dangerous tools and environments that many other jobs do not. Of course, with the proper training and safety precautions (see Health and Safety) you can have a long career in woodworking without any injuries, but the potential is still there pretty much everyday.

Is There Any Future in Woodworking?

A young shop owner starts an informal survey of whether it's a field that's worth spending your life in.