Updated April 25, 2024
7 min read
A bench carpenter is a professional who produces or assembles components of construction materials, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture. They operate and set up various power tools like saws, planers, sanders, routers, and CNC machinery. Bench carpenters assemble cabinet boxes and wooden articles following shop drawings and precise measurements. They also install electrical wiring, fixtures, and control equipment in frameworks according to design specifications. Furthermore, bench carpenters apply protective and decorative materials, such as stain, varnish, and lacquer, to assembled articles.
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Bench carpenter responsibilities
As a bench carpenter, important responsibilities include producing and assembling components of articles like store fixtures, cabinets, or high-grade furniture. This involves operating various tools such as saws, planers, sanders, and routers, and applying protective and decorative materials to assembled articles. Additionally, bench carpenters work with hand tools and machinery to assist with different projects, including constructing custom cabinets and furniture, and installing cabinets and countertops according to customer preferences. They also maintain safety procedures consistent with OSHA regulations and provide leadership for install crews.
Here are examples of responsibilities from real bench carpenter resumes:
- use all hand and power tools available including table saws and routers, cnc, beam see
- Enforce on-site policy and safety regulations for state and local agencies (EPA, NYFD, OSHA, DEM).
- Operate various saws and shop equipment.
- Set up 10,000 sf shop including professional spray booth.
- Set up and operate CNC machinery including shaper, S4S and panel see.
- Utilize drawings and blueprints to fashion custom furniture for a customer'shome or office.
- Band saws, edge banders, vacuum formers, vacuum tables, router tables, and planers.
- Frame and insulate walls-Completed demo work-instal cabinets, flooring, and new trim-Made and finish trim-Constructed stairway
- Advance knowledge of architectural millwork.
Bench carpenter skills and personality traits
We calculated that 39% of Bench Carpenters are proficient in Hand Tools, CNC, and Table Saws. They’re also known for soft skills such as Mechanical skills, Technical skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Bench Carpenters that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Hand Tools, 39%
Worked with hand tools/ machinery to assist with different projects including bridges/drywall/painting etc.
- CNC, 17%
Set up and operated CNC machinery including shaper, S4S and panel saw.
- Table Saws, 15%
Worked with different types of table saws and also operated from hand sanding machines, to big industrial sanding machines.
- Power Saws, 8%
Operated Power Saws and pneumatic equipment
- Jointers, 8%
Mold expansion joints and edges, using edging tools, jointers, and straightedge.
- Custom Furniture, 7%
Manufactured and installed custom furniture and cabinetry systems per schematics.
"hand tools," "cnc," and "table saws" are among the most common skills that bench carpenters use at work. You can find even more bench carpenter responsibilities below, including:
Mechanical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a bench carpenter to have is mechanical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "the use of handtools, such as screwdrivers and wrenches, is required to set up, adjust, and calibrate machines." Bench carpenters often use mechanical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "perform general construction duties including; maintenance and repairs to mechanical parts and plumbing - troubleshoot the construction office computer operating systems"
Technical skills. Another essential skill to perform bench carpenter duties is technical skills. Bench carpenters responsibilities require that "woodworkers must be able to interpret design drawings and technical manuals for a range of products and machines." Bench carpenters also use technical skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide technical assistance for the quality control of stucco, and safety technical assistance for stucco scaffolding. "
Detail oriented. This is an important skill for bench carpenters to perform their duties. For an example of how bench carpenter responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "woodworkers must pay attention to details in order to meet specifications and to keep themselves safe." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a bench carpenter: "build & remodel residential homes in all fields, detailed trim & cabinets installation".
Dexterity. bench carpenter responsibilities often require "dexterity." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "woodworkers must make precise cuts with a variety of handtools and power tools, so they need good hand-eye coordination." This resume example shows what bench carpenters do with dexterity on a typical day: "used all related tools safely and received boom lift and scaffolding assembly certification on the job. "
Physical strength. While "physical strength" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to bench carpenter responsibilities. Much of what a bench carpenter does relies on this skill, seeing as "woodworkers must be able to lift bulky, heavy pieces of wood." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of bench carpenters: "perform tasks involving physical labor for concrete and masonry construction projects. "
See the full list of bench carpenter skills
The three companies that hire the most bench carpenters are:
- OrbusExhibit&Display1 bench carpenters jobs
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Compare different bench carpenters
Bench carpenter vs. Wood working assembler
We looked at the average bench carpenter salary and compared it with the wages of a wood working assembler. Generally speaking, wood working assemblers are paid $11,487 lower than bench carpenters per year.Even though bench carpenters and wood working assemblers are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require table saws, power saws, and jointers in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a bench carpenter are more likely to require skills like "hand tools," "cnc," "safety procedures," and "cut material." On the other hand, a job as a wood working assembler requires skills like "customer service," "tape measure," "cabinet doors," and "safety rules." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Wood working assemblers earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $36,086. On the other hand, bench carpenters are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $41,728.wood working assemblers tend to reach similar levels of education than bench carpenters. In fact, wood working assemblers are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.
Bench carpenter vs. Custom stock maker
Custom stock maker positions earn lower pay than bench carpenter roles. They earn a $4,477 lower salary than bench carpenters per year.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real bench carpenter resumes. While bench carpenter responsibilities can utilize skills like "hand tools," "cnc," "table saws," and "power saws," custom stock makers use skills like "customer service," "sales floor," "food preparation," and "quality customer service."
In general, custom stock makers achieve similar levels of education than bench carpenters. They're 0.0% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.
Bench carpenter vs. Counter top maker
On average scale, counter top makers bring in lower salaries than bench carpenters. In fact, they earn a $10,584 lower salary per year.bench carpenters and counter top makers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "cnc," "table saws," and "power saws," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a bench carpenter is likely to be skilled in "hand tools," "jointers," "safety procedures," and "drill press," while a typical counter top maker is skilled in "customer service," "countertops," "building products," and "tape measure."
When it comes to education, counter top makers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to bench carpenters. In fact, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.
Bench carpenter vs. Cabinet worker
Cabinet workers tend to earn a lower pay than bench carpenters by an average of $6,939 per year.While their salaries may vary, bench carpenters and cabinet workers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "hand tools," "table saws," and "drill press. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A bench carpenter uses "cnc," "power saws," "jointers," and "custom furniture." Cabinet workers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "belt sanders," "cabinet doors," "office furniture," and "customer orders. "The average resume of cabinet workers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to bench carpenters. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.0%.
Types of bench carpenter
Updated April 25, 2024
Zippia Team
Editorial Staff
The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.
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- Wood Working Assembler
- Woodworking Bench Carpenter
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Updated April 25, 2024
