Model Makers, Wood
Production · SOC 51-7031
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-7031 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 56/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $56,550
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -4.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 193 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~15.4% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Construct full-size and scale wooden precision models of products. Includes wood jig builders and loft workers.
Common titles: Builder, Craftsman, Jig Maker, Model Builder, Model Maker, Product Development Carpenter
Representative Tasks
- •Read blueprints, drawings, or written specifications, and consult with designers 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, screws, and other fasteners.
- •Verify dimensions and contours of models during hand-forming processes, using templates and measuring devices.
- •Trim, smooth, and shape surfaces, and plane, shave, file, scrape, and sand models to attain specified shapes, using hand tools.
- •Plan, lay out, and draw outlines of units, sectional patterns, or full-scale mock-ups of products.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Exchange information with colleagues.
- •Study blueprints or other instructions to determine equipment setup requirements.
- •Assemble wood products.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Shape surfaces or edges of wood workpieces.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $56,550 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |