Wood machinist
Wood machinists cut and shape timber for products like cabinets, staircases, mouldings and frames for doors and windows.
- Starter salary£23,000 a year
- Experienced£31,000 a year
- Typical hours40 to 43 a week
What you'll do
As a wood machinist, you could:
- follow detailed technical drawings to plan jobs
- work out the amount and type of timber needed
- measure and mark out cutting lines
- cut and shape timber, using tools like saws, planes and routers
- operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment
- carry out quality control checks
In some jobs, you'll also assemble products, using the pieces you've created.
Working environment
You could work in a workshop or at a sawmill.
Your working environment may be dusty, physically demanding and noisy.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- the ability to operate and control equipment
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with your hands
- concentration skills
- the ability to analyse quality or performance
- knowledge of maths
- the ability to work on your own
- knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
How to become a wood machinist
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
You can take a college course that would teach you some of the skills needed to get a trainee wood machinist position.
Courses include:
- basic construction skills
- carpentry and joinery
- wood machining
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, such as:
- Wood Machinist
- Wood Product Manufacturing Operative
- Carpentry and Joinery
If you want to work in the furniture industry you could do a Furniture Manufacturing Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
These take around 2 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training with study time spent off-site.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Work
You could start as a labourer in construction, or an assistant with a wood products or furniture manufacturing company.
You could then specialise in machining work after doing on-the-job training.
Direct application
You could apply directly to work as a wood machinist with companies that make timber products. You'll usually need experience of working with manufacturing machinery, CNC machine tools or bench joinery.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could become a workshop supervisor or manager.
You could apply to do a Craft Carpentry and Joinery Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship to specialise in creating architectural pieces for heritage restoration projects.
You might also use your skills to move into:
- furniture making
- shopfitting
- kitchen and bathroom installation
Guides for this industry
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