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Patternmakers, Wood Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 51-7032 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary
$49,629
$23.86/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Patternmakers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$38K
P25$41K
P50$50K
P75$59K
P90$84K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
📈
Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $49,629 to $59,342 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Patternmakers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role fell 5.5% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently
  • Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
  • Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Patternmakers, Wood is $49,629 per year ($23.86/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $41,163 and $59,342 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $83,782 per year. There are approximately 220 patternmakers, wood employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-5.0%
Slower than average
Annual openings
0
per year, on avg
Workforce today
500
as of 2024
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salary
P10$18.08$37,606
P25$19.79$41,163
P50MEDIAN$23.86$49,629
P75$28.53$59,342
P90$40.28$83,782

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average patternmakers, wood salary?

The national median salary for Patternmakers, Wood is $49,629 per year ($23.86/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $41,163 and $59,342 annually.

How much do top-earning patternmakers, wood make?

The 90th percentile salary for Patternmakers, Wood is $83,782 per year ($40.28/hr). The 75th percentile is $59,342 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for patternmakers, wood?

Entry-level Patternmakers, Wood (10th percentile) earn approximately $37,606 per year ($18.08/hr). The 25th percentile is $41,163 per year.

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About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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