Patternmakers, Wood
Also called: Mold Maker, Pattern Maker, Patternmaker, Wood Pattern MakerPlan, lay out, and construct wooden unit or sectional patterns used in forming sand molds for castings.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 8 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 2.0% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 4.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other woodworkers”
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | $55,020 | $50,120 to $55,920 | not published |
Nationally: $49,630. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 8 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications to determine sizes and shapes of patterns and required machine setups. | Not published |
| Not much | Fit, fasten, and assemble wood parts together to form patterns, models, or sections, using glue, nails, dowels, bolts, and screws. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| Not much | Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Verify dimensions of completed patterns, using templates, straightedges, calipers, or protractors. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| Not much | Correct patterns to compensate for defects in castings. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair broken or damaged patterns. | Not published |
| Not much | Finish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint. | Not published |
| AI + software | Divide patterns into sections according to shapes of castings to facilitate removal of patterns from molds. | Not published |
| Not much | Glue fillets along interior angles of patterns. | Not published |
| Not much | Construct wooden models, templates, full scale mock-ups, jigs, or molds for shaping parts of products. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select lumber to be used for patterns. | Not published |
| AI + software | Mark identifying information such as colors or codes on patterns, parts, and templates to indicate assembly methods. | Not published |
| AI alone | Compute dimensions, areas, volumes, and weights. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Maintain pattern records for reference. | Not published |
| AI alone | Estimate costs for patternmaking jobs. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect and store patterns and lumber. | Not published |
| AI alone | Inventory equipment and supplies, ordering parts and tools as necessary. | Not published |
| Not much | Issue patterns to designated machine operators. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Plan work activities |
Show all 19 activities
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Design materials or devices | |||
| Repair workpieces or products | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Shape materials to create products | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Operate cutting or grinding equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Math or a calculation62%
- An explanation or answer14%
- Advice or a recommendation6%
- Data or a spreadsheet4%
- A chart or visualization4%
How they worked with Claude
38% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for patternmakers, wood specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 31 moves in
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 1% less than high school
- 57% high school
- 26% postsecondary certificate
- 16% some college
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 29 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 18% less than high school
- 36% high school
- 22% some college
- 8% associate's
- 13% bachelor's
- 3% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other woodworkers” · 339 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other woodworkers”
1 program: Cabinetmaking and Millwork.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (PATTERNMAKER, WOOD; PATTERNMAKING-WOOD). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Patternmakers, Wood” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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