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The differences between finish carpenters and cabinet makers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a finish carpenter, becoming a cabinet maker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a finish carpenter has an average salary of $46,987, which is higher than the $36,494 average annual salary of a cabinet maker.
The top three skills for a finish carpenter include hand tools, custom cabinets and safety rules. The most important skills for a cabinet maker are hand tools, shop drawings, and tape measure.
| Finish Carpenter | Cabinet Maker | |
| Yearly salary | $46,987 | $36,494 |
| Hourly rate | $22.59 | $17.55 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 11,653 | 7,319 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
Finish carpenters are skilled professionals who perform the final touches on homes after the structure is fully built. These carpenters must carry out various tasks such as installing doors, building bookshelves, and adding designs to window and door trims. They are required to follow work from sketches and drawings to complete the job to the right specifications as well as collecting the correct materials before beginning a job. Finish carpenters must also dismantle and demolish before carrying out repairs or installing new materials.
A cabinet maker specializes in constructing cabinets and other wooden furniture, even restoring antiques. They usually create their own designs, but there are also times when they craft specific cabinets according to client requests and orders. A cabinet maker usually meets with clients to discuss cabinet specifications, and they may also travel to homes or establishments to obtain measurements and perform other assessments. Their job entails planning methods and materials, purchasing supplies, operating woodworking machinery, assembling parts, and applying paint and other finishing materials to surfaces.
Finish carpenters and cabinet makers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Finish Carpenter | Cabinet Maker | |
| Average salary | $46,987 | $36,494 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $63,000 | Between $27,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Elizabeth, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Turner Construction | University of California, Berkeley |
| Best paying industry | Construction | - |
There are a few differences between a finish carpenter and a cabinet maker in terms of educational background:
| Finish Carpenter | Cabinet Maker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 36% | High School Diploma, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between finish carpenters' and cabinet makers' demographics:
| Finish Carpenter | Cabinet Maker | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 1.8% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 5% |