Production · Holland code RAC

Patternmakers, Wood

Plan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.

Also called: Mold Maker, Pattern Maker, Patternmaker, Wood Pattern Maker, Pattern Engineer, Wood Patternmaker, Wood Shop Moldmaker, Woodshop Worker.

O*NET 51-7032.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $49,630; Middle half earn $41,170 to $59,350. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 57% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Monitoring3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Mathematics3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mathematics4.0 / 5
Design3.6 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.6 / 5
Mechanical3.6 / 5
Building and Construction3.3 / 5
Administration and Management3.3 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic93
Investigative18
Artistic51
Social5
Enterprising4
Conventional51

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

casting mould maker · DE Technischer Modellbauer Fachrichtung Gießerei/Technische Modellbauerin Fachrichtung Gießerei · FR modeleur mouliste/modeleuse mouliste
woodcarver · DE Holzbildhauer/Holzbildhauerin · FR sculpteur sur bois/sculptrice sur bois

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out (5222)8,600 employed
Other skilled trades n.e.c. (5449)35,600 employed
Metal working production and maintenance fitters and technicians (5223)135,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.06. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-7032).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test