What Does a Cabinet Shop Foreman Do?
Whether the order is a kitchen, a reception desk, or a wall of lab casework, it has to pass through the saw, the bench and the spray booth without errors piling up. Cabinet shop foremen run that floor for custom woodwork companies and for the in-house shops at some universities and hospitals, assigning the work and checking it before it ships.
Also known as: Cabinet Foreman
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Assembly Supervisor, Line Supervisor, Manufacturing Supervisor, Molding Supervisor, Plant Supervisor, Production Manager, Production Supervisor, Quality Assurance Supervisor (QA Supervisor).
Cabinet Shop Foreman Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a cabinet shop foreman include:
- Schedule each job through cutting, machining, assembly and finishing to meet install dates.
- Assign cabinet makers and helpers to benches and machines based on skill and workload.
- Check cut lists and CNC programs against the drawings before any sheet goods are cut.
- Inspect joints, finishes and door alignment; send back work that will not pass.
- Order lumber, sheet goods, hardware and finishing supplies, and track what each job uses.
- Estimate shop hours and material for bids and change orders with the project manager.
- Enforce blade guards, push sticks, hearing protection and dust collection rules on every shift.
- Arrange machine maintenance, from saw blade changes to dust collector filter swaps.
- Coach apprentices on layout, joinery and finishing, and sign off their skills as they progress.
- Meet installers before delivery to confirm site measurements, access and the order of installation.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a cabinet shop foreman, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Expert cabinet making and finishing skills
- Production scheduling and job costing
- Cabinet Vision or similar design and CNC software
- Knowledge of Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) quality grades
- OSHA woodshop safety rules and dust control
- Fair, direct leadership of makers and helpers
- Reading architectural drawings and shop drawings
- Material planning to cut waste
Education and Training
Few shops ask for more than a high school diploma. Progression is often slow and steady, and the chance to run a shift tends to go to the maker whose work rarely comes back from inspection. You may become a lead cabinetmaker after some years at the bench and a foreman a few years after that.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $58,630 - $91,680 per year, with a median of $74,450.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers.
Employment of first-line supervisors of production and operating workers, the wide group that includes cabinet shop foremen, is projected to grow about 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, according to BLS. Its roughly 61,000 openings a year cover every kind of factory, so woodworking claims only a small share. Many foremen are promoted from within.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, First-line supervisors of production and operating workers.
Cabinet Shop Foreman Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $47,130 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $58,630 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $74,450 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $91,680 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $108,750 |
Highest-Paying States for Cabinet Shop Foremans
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Wyoming ($90,390), Connecticut ($83,150), Rhode Island ($81,650), New Jersey ($81,110), District of Columbia ($80,030). Pay is lowest in New Mexico ($64,640), Florida ($63,950), Arkansas ($63,090).
Median pay in all 51 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $73,060 |
| Alaska | $77,960 |
| Arizona | $75,330 |
| Arkansas | $63,090 |
| California | $76,840 |
| Colorado | $78,890 |
| Connecticut | $83,150 |
| Delaware | $79,100 |
| District of Columbia | $80,030 |
| Florida | $63,950 |
| Georgia | $69,170 |
| Hawaii | $71,990 |
| Idaho | $70,890 |
| Illinois | $75,200 |
| Indiana | $73,950 |
| Iowa | $74,750 |
| Kansas | $74,480 |
| Kentucky | $72,490 |
| Louisiana | $77,520 |
| Maine | $78,970 |
| Maryland | $78,520 |
| Massachusetts | $79,920 |
| Michigan | $72,170 |
| Minnesota | $78,550 |
| Mississippi | $68,720 |
| Missouri | $73,210 |
| Montana | $68,760 |
| Nebraska | $72,200 |
| Nevada | $68,270 |
| New Hampshire | $79,310 |
| New Jersey | $81,110 |
| New Mexico | $64,640 |
| New York | $78,580 |
| North Carolina | $69,640 |
| North Dakota | $76,350 |
| Ohio | $72,160 |
| Oklahoma | $70,000 |
| Oregon | $73,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $74,990 |
| Rhode Island | $81,650 |
| South Carolina | $77,500 |
| South Dakota | $73,040 |
| Tennessee | $65,310 |
| Texas | $70,140 |
| Utah | $71,220 |
| Vermont | $75,540 |
| Virginia | $74,150 |
| Washington | $79,310 |
| West Virginia | $68,990 |
| Wisconsin | $74,840 |
| Wyoming | $90,390 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as first-line supervisors of production and operating workers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 92% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
- 87% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 85% use email every day
- 83% usually work more than 40 hours a week
- 82% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 72% deal with loud or distracting noise every day
- 70% spend more than half the workday on their feet
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 33% |
| Some college | 15% |
| Less than high school | 14% |
| Associate's degree | 14% |
Tools and Software Cabinet Shop Foremans Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Time Management, Management of Personnel Resources, Critical Thinking, Monitoring.
Knowledge areas used most: Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Personnel and Human Resources, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 51-1011.00 (First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.