by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 5 U.S. colleges awarded 37 degrees and certificates in General Woodworking. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 49% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $28,034 one year after completing, rising to $42,474 after four years.
A major in General Woodworking covers Woodworking, General. A Program That Generally Prepares Individuals To Apply Technical Knowledge And Skills To Lay Out And Shape Stock; Assemble Wooden Articles Or Subassemblies; Mark, Bind, Saw, Carve, And Sand Wooden Products; Repair Wooden Articles, And Use A Variety Of Hand And Power Tools.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., general woodworking is a popular field of study, with 37 degrees awarded annually. 5 colleges award general woodworking degrees, an average of 7 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 24.
By level, the 37 awards include 4 certificates, 3 associate degrees and 18 master’s degrees.
Women earned 27% of general woodworking degrees and certificates in the latest year (10 of 37). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (29) and Hispanic or Latino (2).
The most common general woodworking credential is the master’s degree: 18 of the 37 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to general woodworking call most for Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control and Quality Control Analysis, and for knowledge of Mechanical, Production and Processing and Mathematics, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Reaction Time, Near Vision and Control Precision.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a general woodworking degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 4 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 3 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 18 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to general woodworking, at 73.1%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 73.1% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 20.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 4.5% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 1.7% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to General Woodworking, with an average median salary of $47,603; the strongest outlook belongs to Woodworkers, All Other, at 10.0% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Stock Checker, Tip Inserter, Hand Carver and Wood Casket Assembler.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to general woodworking, at 945,993.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Woodworkers, All Other | 945,993 | 10.0% |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | 456,048 | 2.3% |
General Woodworking graduates earn a median $28,034 one year after completing their program, $42,474 after four years and $46,526 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $28,034 |
| 4 years | $42,474 |
| 5 years | $46,526 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to general woodworking, with a median salary of $57,136.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Woodworkers, All Other | $57,136 |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | $38,070 |
General Woodworking has 4 similar majors in the Precision Production field, which together award 573 degrees a year; the largest are Cabinetmaking and Millwork (483), Furniture Design and Manufacturing (56) and Wooden Boatbuilding Technology/Technician (28). Browse all Precision Production majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Cabinetmaking and Millwork | 483 |
| Furniture Design and Manufacturing | 56 |
| Wooden Boatbuilding Technology/Technician | 28 |
| Woodworking, Other | 6 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.