Woodworking at Michigan Career and Technical Institute
Plainwell, MI · Public · Certificate
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
41
Strong Growth
41
Base Case
42
Conservative
Earnings
$26,594/yr (-18% vs median)
AI-Proof
AI-Proof (90% shielded)
Job Market
Medium (23,200 openings/yr)
Future-Proof Earnings
Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Woodworking graduates.
| Strong Growth Full Stability |
Base Case Moderate Changes |
Conservative Max Disruption |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $305K | $261K | $244K |
| Earnings Multiple (In-State) | 36.7x | 31.5x | 29.3x |
| Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) | 25.3x | 21.7x | 20.2x |
| Viable Career Paths | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 | 7 of 7 |
| TradeSchoolWorth Score | 41 | 41 | 42 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.
Program Tuition (In-State)
$8,300
Out-of-state: $12,048
Career Paths
Where Woodworking graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 23,200 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI-Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patternmakers, wood | $52,520 | — | -5.0% | 74% |
| Model makers, wood | $51,850 | 100 | -4.5% | 85% |
| Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters | $46,020 | 8,100 | -1.6% | 88% |
| Furniture finishers | $42,530 | 2,000 | -3.3% | 97% |
| Woodworkers, all other | $41,220 | 1,800 | -4.4% | 100% |
| Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing | $40,440 | 6,400 | -1.8% | 93% |
| Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood | $39,950 | 4,800 | -0.6% | 94% |
Compare & Explore
Woodworking Overview
Woodworking at Other Schools
Other Majors at Michigan Career and Technical Institute
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Woodworking at Michigan Career and Technical Institute?
This program scores 41/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 42 (conservative) to 41 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Woodworking?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Woodworking graduates retain 7 of 7 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $243,523 (conservative) to $304,871 (strong growth).
How many job openings are there for Woodworking graduates?
The career paths mapped to Woodworking have roughly 23,200 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Woodworking at Michigan Career and Technical Institute worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 31.5x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 29.3x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2026.