Cabinetmaking splits into two quite different careers that share one qualification, and they don’t pay the same. Worth understanding before you pick an employer.
Which award covers you
Cabinetmakers generally sit under the Timber Industry Award (MA000071), in the furniture and joinery stream. Apprentice rates step up each year as a proportion of the qualified rate, with higher rates for Year 12 completion and for adult apprentices.
If your work is predominantly on-site installation as part of building work, the construction award may apply instead. Check which instrument your training contract names, and confirm your figure on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than assuming.
Kitchens versus furniture
Most cabinetmaking employment in Australia is kitchen and joinery work — flat-pack and custom carcass construction, benchtops, wardrobes and commercial fitouts. It’s volume work, increasingly machine-driven, and it’s where the jobs are.
Bespoke furniture making is the other path: solid timber, traditional joinery, one-off commissions. It pays poorly early and can pay very well eventually, but it’s a smaller market and success depends as much on design reputation and client relationships as on trade skill.
Both come out of the same Certificate III. Choosing which workshop you apprentice in effectively chooses which trade you learn.
CNC and CAD are now core, not optional
Modern cabinetmaking runs on CNC routers and nesting software. Cabinet design packages generate cutting lists and machine files directly from a drawing, and a cabinetmaker who can operate and program that equipment is worth considerably more than one who can only work by hand.
If your apprenticeship doesn’t expose you to CNC and CAD, that’s a genuine gap in your training worth raising. Hand skills still matter for fitting, scribing and repair, but the machines set the pace of the industry.
Wood dust is a classified carcinogen
Hardwood dust in particular is linked to nasal cancer, and MDF adds formaldehyde exposure to the mix. Extraction at the machine, proper respiratory protection and workshop air management are legal requirements on your employer. This is a genuine long-term health issue in the trade and it’s under-discussed.
Engineered stone benchtops are a separate matter again — Australia banned their manufacture and installation following the silicosis crisis, so a cabinetmaking apprenticeship today should not involve cutting engineered stone at all.
Where it leads
Commercial shopfitting, exhibition and display work, marine and caravan joinery, and heritage restoration all pay above standard kitchen work. Contracting for yourself is achievable with moderate equipment investment, though workshop space is the real barrier for most.
Your qualification
The trade qualification is MSF31122 Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology, typically three to four years, covering carcass construction, machining, assembly, fitting and installation.
How to check your exact rate
Use the Fair Work Pay Calculator with the correct award, your apprenticeship year, start date and adult apprentice status. The Fair Work Ombudsman helpline is 13 13 94 if the numbers don’t add up.
FAQ
Which award covers cabinetmaking apprentices?
Usually the Timber Industry Award (MA000071). On-site installation work as part of construction may fall under the construction award instead.
Is cabinetmaking the same as carpentry?
No. Carpentry is structural and site-based — framing, roofing, formwork. Cabinetmaking is fine joinery and furniture, largely workshop-based, with different qualifications and awards.
Do cabinetmakers need CNC skills?
Increasingly yes. CNC routing and cabinet design software are standard in commercial workshops and a significant earning differentiator.
Is wood dust actually harmful?
Yes. Hardwood dust is a classified carcinogen and MDF adds formaldehyde. Extraction and respiratory protection are legal obligations on your employer.
General information only — not financial or legal advice. Award rates change annually on 1 July. Check the official source and your state authority before acting.
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