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Patternmakers, Wood vs Sheet Metal Workers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Patternmakers, Wood and Sheet Metal Workers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Patternmakers, Wood Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$52,520
$60,850
Employment · BLS OEWS
180
117,470
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
40th pct
16th pct

At a glance

Dimension Patternmakers, Wood Sheet Metal Workers
Median pay $52,520 $60,850
Employment 180 117,470
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-5.0%) About average (+2.4%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 0 10,600
Typical education · O*NET Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies Moderate · 40th pct Low · 16th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 20th pct · 16% of tasks 35th pct · 21% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Automation-leaning (61.9%) Automation-leaning (63.8%)
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman No No

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Mathematics, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Near Vision, Design, Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Finger Dexterity, Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Information Ordering, Visualization, Production and Processing, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Category Flexibility, Selective Attention, Multilimb Coordination, Static Strength, Active Listening, Mathematics, Critical Thinking, Written Comprehension, Oral Expression, Mathematical Reasoning, Perceptual Speed, Trunk Strength.

Specific to Patternmakers, Wood

  • Reaction Time
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Operation and Control
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Quality Control Analysis
  • Depth Perception
  • Speech Recognition

Specific to Sheet Metal Workers

  • English Language
  • Coordination
  • Flexibility of Closure
  • Education and Training
  • Speaking
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Time Management
  • Inductive Reasoning

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Computer aided design CAD software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Computer aided manufacturing CAM software .

Specific to Patternmakers, Wood

Specific to Sheet Metal Workers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Patternmakers, Wood or Sheet Metal Workers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Patternmakers, Wood vs Sheet Metal Workers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/patternmakers-wood-vs-sheet-metal-workers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Patternmakers, Wood vs Sheet Metal Workers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/patternmakers-wood-vs-sheet-metal-workers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-patternmakers-wood-vs-sheet-metal-workers,
  title  = {Patternmakers, Wood vs Sheet Metal Workers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/patternmakers-wood-vs-sheet-metal-workers}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.