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ANZSCO 3941Skill level 3Engineering and trades

Cabinet maker

Design and construct fitted cabinetry, kitchens and built-in furniture from timber, board and stone composites.

Salary

Cited figures from Job Outlook and QILT. ExamExplained does not publish predictive earnings or projections.

FigureAUDSource
Full-time weekly earnings$1450Job Outlook (2025-06-01)

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What a cabinet maker actually does

Cabinet makers work in factory workshops producing kitchens, wardrobes, vanities and built-in furniture for residential and commercial fit-outs. Most of the day is spent in a climate-controlled workshop running panel saws, edge banders, CNC routers and drill banks to cut components from flat-pack board. Workshop time is followed by a couple of days each week on site for delivery, install and adjustment. The big shift in the last decade has been computer numerical control (CNC) and design software like Cabinet Vision and 2020 Design. Hours typically run 7am to 3.30pm or 8am to 4.30pm in the workshop, longer on install days. Many cabinet makers move into running their own small workshop after 5-10 years. Some move into solid timber furniture making, joinery or shop fitting.

Typical tasks

  • Read shop drawings and interpret client briefs.
  • Operate panel saws and CNC routers.
  • Install cabinets on site to plumb and level standards.

Skills you'll use

  • Reading shop drawings and translating to a cutting list
  • Operating panel saws, edge banders, and CNC routers
  • Use of brad nailers, pocket-hole jigs and assembly clamps
  • Working with timber, MDF, plywood and laminate substrates
  • Hardware install including soft-close hinges, drawer runners and handles
  • Reading site dimensions and adjusting for out-of-square walls
  • Customer communication and basic on-site problem solving

How to become one

  1. 1Finish Year 10 or 12. A pre-apprenticeship Certificate II in Furniture Making is helpful if you have not yet found a host employer
  2. 2Secure a host with a cabinet making, joinery or shopfitting business and sign an apprenticeship agreement
  3. 3Complete a 4-year Certificate III in Cabinet Making (MSF31113) at TAFE alongside paid on-job training
  4. 4Add a White Card and any extras such as forklift and EWP tickets early. Most cabinetmakers spend at least one day a week installing
  5. 5Build experience across panel work, solid timber and stone benchtop installation. The more substrate types you have worked with, the more employable you are
  6. 6Optional next steps include a Certificate IV in Design of Kitchens, Bathrooms and Interior Spaces (MSF40118) so you can move into design and sales, or starting your own workshop

Where you can work

  • Kitchen and joinery manufacturers
  • Shopfitting and retail fit-out contractors
  • Commercial joinery firms supplying schools, offices and hospitals
  • Bespoke furniture and bench-top fabricators
  • Modular and prefabricated home builders
  • Yacht and caravan fit-out shops
  • Self-employed sole traders running small workshops

Career progression

Typical stages and salary bands. Salary figures are sourced from Job Outlook, QILT or industry bodies; brackets are 25th-75th percentile not absolute floors or ceilings.

  1. Apprentice
    0-4 years
    Typical roles: First-year apprentice, Fourth-year apprentice
    Salary band: $28,000 - $52,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  2. Qualified cabinet maker
    4-8 years
    Typical roles: Workshop cabinet maker, Installer, CNC operator
    Salary band: $65,000 - $90,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  3. Senior or supervisor
    8-15 years
    Typical roles: Leading hand, Workshop foreman, Design and install lead
    Salary band: $85,000 - $115,000 per year (source, sourced 2026-05-21)
  4. Business owner or designer
    10+ years
    Typical roles: Workshop owner, Kitchen designer, Shopfitting business owner

Is this for you?

You might love this if

  • You enjoy precise work and like the smell of timber and laminate
  • You are good with measurement and reading plans
  • You take pride in clean, square work
  • You can move between workshop machinery and on-site adjustments
  • You want a trade that gives you a clear path to your own workshop

This might not suit you if

  • You dislike workshop dust, noise and routine
  • You have allergies that flare around MDF dust or solvents
  • You want a job with no customer-facing time

Three ways in

Uni, TAFE and trade routes for cabinet maker. Not every career has all three; we only list pathways that actually lead to this occupation.

University

Bachelor degrees that lead to this career.

No direct undergraduate pathway. Consider postgraduate study after a related bachelor degree.

TAFE / VET

Nationally accredited Certificate and Diploma qualifications.

Apprenticeship trade

Earn while you learn through an Australian Apprenticeship.

Sources

ExamExplained does not publish predictive salary figures. For current Australian earnings data check Job Outlook directly. Career classifications follow the ABS ANZSCO 2022 release.