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Skills that raise your pay

• CNC (computer numerical control) machining

  Programming and running the machine that cuts sheet goods. The single biggest pay bump in a modern shop.

• Cabinet design software

  Turning a kitchen drawing into a cut list and a parts order.

• Finishing and spraying

  Stain, lacquer and catalyzed finishes. A good finisher is hard to replace.

• Solid surface and countertop fabrication

  A separate specialty that often pays better than cabinet work.

• Installation

  Scribing to crooked walls in somebody's house is a different skill from building in a flat shop.