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Cabinetmaker & Bench Carpenter

Skilled Trades

Cut, shape, and assemble wooden articles or set up and operate a variety of woodworking machines, such as power saws, jointers, and mortisers to surface, cut, or shape lumber or to fabricate parts for wood products.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Architecture & Built Environment

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Verify dimensions or check the quality or fit of pieces to ensure adherence to specifications.
  2. 2Produce or assemble components of articles, such as store fixtures, office equipment, cabinets, or high-grade furniture.
  3. 3Measure and mark dimensions of parts on paper or lumber stock prior to cutting, following blueprints, to ensure a tight fit and quality product.
  4. 4Set up or operate machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, or shapers, to cut, mold, or shape woodstock or wood substitutes.
  5. 5Establish the specifications of articles to be constructed or repaired, or plan the methods or operations for shaping or assembling parts, based on blueprints, drawings, diagrams, or oral or written instructions.
  6. 6Attach parts or subassemblies together to form completed units, using glue, dowels, nails, screws, or clamps.
  7. 7Estimate the amounts, types, or costs of needed materials.
  8. 8Reinforce joints with nails or other fasteners to prepare articles for finishing.
  9. 9Install hardware, such as hinges, handles, catches, or drawer pulls, using hand tools.
  10. 10Trim, sand, or scrape surfaces or joints to prepare articles for finishing.
  11. 11Cut timber to the right size, and shape and trim parts of joints to ensure a snug fit, using hand tools, such as planes, chisels, or wood files.
  12. 12Match materials for color, grain, or texture, giving attention to knots or other features of the wood.
  13. 13Perform final touch-ups with sandpaper or steel wool.
  14. 14Bore holes for insertion of screws or dowels, by hand or using boring machines.
  15. 15Repair or alter wooden furniture, cabinetry, fixtures, paneling, or other pieces.
  16. 16Dip, brush, or spray assembled articles with protective or decorative finishes, such as stain, varnish, paint, or lacquer.
  17. 17Draw up detailed specifications and discuss projects with customers.
  18. 18Design furniture, using computer-aided drawing programs.
  19. 19Apply Masonite, formica, or vinyl surfacing materials.
  20. 20Program computers to operate machinery.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Framer
  • Inlayer
  • Bow Maker
  • Carpenter
  • Harp Maker
  • Woodworker
  • Chair Maker
  • Hand Carver
  • Cabinetmaker
  • Chair Mender

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Civil Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Engineering DrawingDraws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Building and Construction — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mathematics84%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Building and Construction76%

    Civil Engineering StudiesEngineering DrawingDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Production and Processing73%

    Design & Technology (RBT)Mechanical Engineering Studies

  • Mechanical69%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Design69%

    Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing

  • Engineering and Technology61%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedAlmost never
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingAlmost none

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

0%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Welder

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue