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Craftsman (wood model maker): pay, job outlook and how to enter

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$56,550median pay per year, or $27.19 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $34,800lowest 10% earn less
  2. $37,66025th percentile
  3. $56,550median
  4. $87,15075th percentile
  5. $98,050top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Model makers who build wooden models and patterns had a median pay of $56,550 a year[1]. BLS projects a 3.3% decline in jobs from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
-3.3%[2]
Openings per year
100[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do wood model makers make?

The BLS category is Model Makers, Wood. Its median pay in May 2025 was $56,550 a year, or $27.19 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4], so this job sits above that mark.

The average was $63,670 a year, or $30.61 an hour[7]. The range is wide:

Point in the range Annual wage Fact
Lowest-paid 10% earned less than[3] $34,800
Lowest-paid 25% earned less than[3] $37,660
Median[1] $56,550
Highest-paid 25% earned more than[3] $87,150
Highest-paid 10% earned more than[3] $98,050

BLS publishes percentile boundaries, not a starting salary[8]. Hourly, the 10th percentile was $16.73 and the 90th was $47.14[9].

These figures cover only wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not count bonuses or benefits[10]. That matters here, because 61.7% of model makers in this category were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

BLS published a state median for only one state. In Ohio the median was $35,900 a year[12]. With one state, there is no ranking to share. The data lists no metro areas.

Show median pay in 1 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Ohio[12]$35,900n/a

How to become a wood model maker

BLS describes the usual path in three parts[6]:

The data does not say how long that training lasts. In an O*NET survey of 14 workers, 31% said a post-secondary certificate was required, 30% said less than a high school diploma, 20% said a high school diploma, and 14% said a bachelor's degree[13]. A survey this small is only a rough guide.

O*NET places the job in Job Zone Three, which means medium preparation and some prior skill or experience[14].

What wood model makers do

O*NET describes the work as building full-size and scale wooden models of products[15]. Common tasks include[16]:

Workers report job titles such as Jig Maker, Model Builder, Sample Maker and Product Development Carpenter[17].

Job outlook

BLS projects that employment will decline 3.3% from 2025 to 2035[2]. All occupations together are projected to grow 3.5%[18]. The projection counts self-employed workers[2].

About 100 openings a year are projected[5]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations[5]. Each year, 5% of workers leave the labor force and 6.2% move to a different occupation[19]. About 280 wage and salary jobs existed in May 2025[20], so this is a very small field.

Is it a good fit?

The pay is above the all-occupations median, and entry needs a high school diploma with on-the-job training[1][4][6]. The field is tiny, jobs are projected to shrink, and many people work for themselves[20][2][11]. Anyone weighing it should keep in mind that wages here do not cover self-employed income[10].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[21].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a wood model maker make an hour?
The median was $27.19 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $30.61[1][7].
What education do you need to be a wood model maker?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, with moderate-term on-the-job training[6].
Is wood model making in demand?
BLS projects a 3.3% decline from 2025 to 2035, with about 100 openings a year[2][5].
How many wood model makers are self-employed?
In 2025, 61.7% were self-employed[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Model Makers, Wood in the US was $56,550 per year and $27.19 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Model Makers, Wood is projected to decline 3.3% from 2025 to 2035, from about 700 to 700 jobs (a change of +0). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Model Makers, Wood: 10th percentile $34,800, 25th percentile $37,660, 75th percentile $87,150, 90th percentile $98,050. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 100 openings for Model Makers, Wood are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Model Makers, Wood: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Model Makers, Wood was $63,670 per year and $30.61 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Model Makers, Wood: 10th percentile $16.73, 25th percentile $18.10, 75th percentile $41.90, 90th percentile $47.14. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 61.7% of Model Makers, Wood were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Model Makers, Wood in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. O*NET 51-7031.00 survey of workers (14 respondents), education level they say is required: Post-Secondary Certificate 31%, Less than a High School Diploma 30%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 20%, Bachelor's Degree 14% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  14. O*NET 51-7031.00: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. O*NET OnLine
  15. O*NET description of Model Makers, Wood. O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET task list for Model Makers, Wood. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 51-7031.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Builder, Craftsman, Jig Maker, Model Builder, Model Maker, Product Development Carpenter, Sample Builder, Sample Maker. O*NET OnLine
  18. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  19. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Model Makers, Wood: 5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.2% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  20. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 280 people were employed as Model Makers, Wood in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  21. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.