51 Series · SOC 51-7032
Patternmakers, Wood Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $49,630
- Median / year
- $83,780
- Top 10% earn
- -5%
- Growth '23–'33
- 220
- US workers
Patternmakers, Wood earn a median of $49,630 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $49,630, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,600 (10th percentile) to $83,780 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 220 US workers. Pennsylvania pays the most ($55,020), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Patternmakers, Wood earn a median of $49,630, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 32% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #37 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2033.
- $49,630
- Median annual wage
- Top 68%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #37 of 105
- in Production
- 2.2×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Pennsylvania at $55,020. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Patternmakers, Wood (SOC 51-7032) pays a national median of $49,630 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,600 at the 10th percentile to $83,780 at the 90th, with a mean of $54,240 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 220 Americans work in this occupation across 1 reporting states and 0 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Pennsylvania pays the highest state median at $55,020, which is +11% above the national figure. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$49,630
per year
Median Hourly
$23.86/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$54,240
average
Employment
220
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Patternmakers, Wood pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$49,630 Bottom 32% higher than 32% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Patternmakers, Wood; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Patternmakers, Wood sits on the slower-growing side at -5% growth and $49,630 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-5%
Declining
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Patternmakers, Wood roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Finish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint.
- ▸ Estimate costs for patternmaking jobs.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,600
25th Percentile
$41,170
Median
$49,630
75th Percentile
$59,350
90th Percentile
$83,780
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 1 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $55,020 | +11% above national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with this data
How to use Patternmakers, Wood pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $59,350/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Pennsylvania leads at $55,020/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.