| Important Core Job Duties (in order of importance) For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 97 (%) | Description: Examine finished workpieces for smoothness, shape, angle, depth-of-cut, or conformity to specifications and verify dimensions, visually and using hands, rules, calipers, templates, or gauges. |
| Importance: 95 (%) | Description: Clean or maintain products, machines, or work areas. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Start machines, adjust controls, and make trial cuts to ensure that machinery is operating properly. |
| Importance: 89 (%) | Description: Monitor operation of machines and make adjustments to correct problems and ensure conformance to specifications. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Remove and replace worn parts, bits, belts, sandpaper, or shaping tools. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Determine product specifications and materials, work methods, and machine setup requirements, according to blueprints, oral or written instructions, drawings, or work orders. |
| Importance: 88 (%) | Description: Install and adjust blades, cutterheads, boring-bits, or sanding-belts, using hand tools and rules. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Examine raw woodstock for defects and to ensure conformity to size and other specification standards. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Set up, program, operate, or tend computerized or manual woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, or wood-nailing machines. |
| Importance: 87 (%) | Description: Change alignment and adjustment of sanding, cutting, or boring machine guides to prevent defects in finished products, using hand tools. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Adjust machine tables or cutting devices and set controls on machines to produce specified cuts or operations. |
| Importance: 85 (%) | Description: Inspect and mark completed workpieces and stack them on pallets, in boxes, or on conveyors so that they can be moved to the next workstation. |
| Importance: 84 (%) | Description: Attach and adjust guides, stops, clamps, chucks, or feed mechanisms, using hand tools. |
| Importance: 83 (%) | Description: Select knives, saws, blades, cutter heads, cams, bits, or belts, according to workpiece, machine functions, or product specifications. |
| Importance: 82 (%) | Description: Inspect pulleys, drive belts, guards, or fences on machines to ensure that machines will operate safely. |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Trim wood parts according to specifications, using planes, chisels, or wood files or sanders. |
| Importance: 75 (%) | Description: Secure woodstock against a guide or in a holding device, place woodstock on a conveyor, or dump woodstock in a hopper to feed woodstock into machines. |
| Importance: 73 (%) | Description: Feed stock through feed mechanisms or conveyors into planing, shaping, boring, mortising, or sanding machines to produce desired components. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Grease or oil woodworking machines. |
| Importance: 69 (%) | Description: Push or hold workpieces against, under, or through cutting, boring, or shaping mechanisms. |
Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs
Select, Find and Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration Careers and Jobs - all on one page
For visually creative people who want commercial design work, illustration, or both. Use the tools below to see which graphic design and illustration roles fit your background and goals.
This field rewards a strong portfolio over formal credentials, and splits between commercial design work and illustration/art-focused work. Use the tools below to explore Graphic Design and Illustration-related job titles sorted by growth rate, salary, or required education. You can start with entry points like Junior Graphic Designer, or look ahead to advanced roles such as Art Director or Creative Director. Along the way, you will see specific certifications, such as Adobe Certified Professional, that can help you move up the career ladder.
Here is a short Helper Video 
This page will take you through 4 steps to (1) Select from Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs, (2) Find Graphic Design and Illustration job listings, (3) Prepare for Graphic Design and Illustration careers, and (4) Provide Graphic Design and Illustration career-specific resources.
Step 1: Select a Career/Job: This page starts with 4 ways for you to identify and select from listings of Graphic Design and Illustration careers/jobs:
A) Fastest Growing Graphic Design and Illustration Careers - 2025 to 2035 (est.)
These listings are based on job growth estimates and helps you to identify the fastest growing and evolving Graphic Design and Illustration careers. Some careers may not initially seem related to Graphic Design and Illustration, so relevant Graphic Design and Illustration jobs are listed alongside each listing. This can also help us to identify which careers (bottom of the listing) may have negative growth - perhaps due to automation or planned obsolescence.
B) Median Annual Salary U.S. Graphic Design and Illustration Careers
These listings are sorted (descending) by median annual salary in the U.S. This may help us to identify our ideal career. We may not qualify at this time for the desired career, but this listing and the results provided can help us to explore job details, as well as learn how to appropriately prepare for the career.
C) Graphic Design and Illustration Career Ladders (Educational Requirements)
These listings will help us to identify Graphic Design and Illustration careers sorted by educational requirements (with the most difficult to obtain listed first). This may help us to identify career ladders (as we scroll down the list), and help us to get jobs that we qualify for now.
D) Select From a Listing of 150 Graphic Design and Illustration Jobs.
The list may be quite long. There are two ways you might like to use this list:
1) Filter - As you enter a word, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles
2) Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
Once you have identified a job title of interest, simply click on it.
Step 2: Find a Job: After you have selected a career/job title above, you will see a form asking for your location. You will see several radio selection choices to utilize the job search site of your choice.
Step 3: Prepare For a Career: In this section you will gain access to detailed information to help you prepare for the chosen career. Information may include (not every career choice includes all of the elements below - updates occur quarterly):
Core Duties: Lists the primary worker-related tasks performed in this occupation
Supplemental Duties: Lists additional tasks that are performed but are secondary to the core duties
Work Activities: Summarizes the broad types of behaviors and actions related to this career
Specific Work Activities: Provides more granular day-to-day activities tied to the work performed
Essential Skills: Provides foundational skills that are core to performing this specific occupation
Transferable Skills: Provides career-portable skills that can be applied across multiple occupations and industries
Day-in-the-Life Summaries: Provides a snapshot of the key activities performed on a typical workday in this career
Knowledge Required: Provides the requirements regarding the acquisition of facts and principles
Software Skills: Lists software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized by category and priority
Preparation Required: Provides a summary of the required experience and education
Education Required: Detailed breakdown of the education required
Training and Experience Required: Detailed breakdown of the training and Training and Experience Required
Local Salary Information: Provides national and local salary ranges
Certifications: Provides appropriate government and private-sector certifications and/or credentials that may be required
Professional Associations: Provides professional associations that are related to the career selected
Job Listings: Provides links to active current job listings for the selected career, along with multiple similar job titles to explore. All information appears on this page without navigating away.
Related Careers to Consider: Lists up to 20 careers that might be of interest to you (related to your initial choice - what they do, what they know, and what they're called), ranked by best fit.
** If you clicked on a link from section D (as described in Step 1 above), you will see one or more links to an occupation that is usually a bit more general than your initial job selection - the link(s) is directly related to the specific job you identified through your prior selections.
*NOTE: It is possible that there may not be a career path identified for the specific job you selected in Step 1. If this is the case, scroll up the page and click on a different career/job.
Step 4: Career-Specific Resources (detailed and constantly updated): Continue to scroll down the page and you will find tabs that provide detailed (updated) links specific to the career you selected. This information includes:
Videos: Provides a listing of video links related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes: Sources for resume materials and techniques. This can help to get you started.
Job Description: Sources that provide job descriptions, which are vital to resume and interview preparation.
Interviews: Provides links that can help you to prepare for and successfully complete the job interview. Can also assist with coffee chats.
Step by Step: Provides links to resources that can help to organize the career search process.
LinkedIn: One of the best professional social media sites that provides links, opportunities, and networking specifically for careers and career development.
Step 1 of 4: Select a Career/Job
40 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by Percentage Change in Total Job Openings - 2025 to 2035 est.). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided. This shows which careers are emerging and growing the fastest. Please Scroll and Select below:
| Occupations | U.S. Job Openings 2025-2035 (% change) | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
44 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed below (sorted by U.S. National Median Salary). Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each occupation are also provided. Please Scroll and Select below::
| Occupations | National Median Salary | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
44 Graphic Design and Illustration careers are listed (sorted by Education/Preparation Requirements - descending) to provide career ladders. Graphic Design and Illustration-related jobs specific to each career are also provided.
|
Education/Preparation Categories: 5 = Usually requires graduate school (e.g., Master's degree, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.) 4 = Usually requires a four-year Bachelor's degree 3 = Usually requires vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or Associate's degree 2 = Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, but not always Please Scroll and Select below: |
||
| Occupations | Education/Preparation | Graphic Design and Illustration-Related Jobs |
Scroll through the picklist (below). There are 150 specific Graphic Design and Illustration job titles listed. Select those that may be of interest - you will get active job listing links, along with detailed resources to help you prepare for a career related to that job.
You can use this form two ways:
Filter - As you enter a keyword, you will filter (limit) the list of job titles below
Browse the list (Don't Filter) - You can simply explore the list of job titles. There may be many that you might never have considered to be of interest.
OR - leave blank and scroll through the choices:
Select a Job Title (Scroll and Select) :
Step 2 of 4: Find a Job
Find Job Listings:
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing.
Step 3 of 4: Prepare For a Career
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Description: Set up, operate, or tend woodworking machines, such as drill presses, lathes, shapers, routers, sanders, planers, and wood nailing machines. May operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment.
Please click on a section below to expand and see detailed occupational information related to "Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing":
U.S. Total Employment (2025):
60,900U.S. Total Employment (2035 est.):
59,400
Employment Change (2025-2035 est.):
-1,500 (-2.5%) Average Annual Job Openings (2025-2035 est.):
5,300
Core Duties
Supplemental Duties
| Important Supplemental Job Duties (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 66 (%) | Description: Unclamp workpieces and remove them from machines. |
| Importance: 48 (%) | Description: Operate gluing machines to glue pieces of wood together, or to press and affix wood veneer to wood surfaces. |
| Importance: 41 (%) | Description: Set up, program, or control computer-aided design (CAD) or computer numerical control (CNC) machines. |
| Importance: 33 (%) | Description: Start machines and move levers to engage hydraulic lifts that press woodstocks into desired forms and disengage lifts after appropriate drying times. |
| Importance: 27 (%) | Description: Control hoists to remove parts or products from work stations. |
Work Activities
| Important General Work Activities (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 80 (%) | Description: Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). |
| Importance: 78 (%) | Description: Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. |
| Importance: 76 (%) | Description: Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. |
| Importance: 72 (%) | Description: Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Importance: 70 (%) | Description: Performing General Physical Activities: Performing general physical activities includes doing activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. |
| Importance: 68 (%) | Description: Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Importance: 65 (%) | Description: Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. |
| Importance: 63 (%) | Description: Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. |
| Importance: 61 (%) | Description: Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
Specific Work Activities
| Important Specific Work Activities
How can you begin to build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. Specific Work Activities appear below: |
|
| Clean production equipment. | |
| Clean work areas. | |
| Conduct test runs of production equipment. | |
| Determine production equipment settings. | |
| Feed materials or products into or through equipment. | |
| Inspect lumber or raw woodstock. | |
| Inspect production equipment. | |
| Load materials into production equipment. | |
| Lubricate production equipment. | |
| Maintain production or processing equipment. | |
| Maneuver workpieces in equipment during production. | |
| Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information. | |
| Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications. | |
| Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed. | |
| Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment. | |
| Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment. | |
| Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment. | |
| Operate woodworking equipment. | |
| Program equipment to perform production tasks. | |
| Remove accessories, tools, or other parts from equipment. | |
| Remove products or workpieces from production equipment. | |
| Replace worn equipment components. | |
| Select production equipment according to product specifications. | |
| Select production input materials. | |
| Set equipment controls to meet cutting specifications. | |
| Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures. | |
| Stack finished items for further processing or shipment. | |
| Trim excess material from workpieces. | |
Knowledge Required
| Knowledge Required (in order of importance)
For the Top 5 most important - How can you build experience and skill doing these? This will help now, to begin preparing for this type of occupation. |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 64 (%) | Description: Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance. |
Essential Skills
| Essential Skills (in order of importance)
These are the foundational skills most central to success in this occupation. For the Top 5 most important, how can you begin building experience and confidence using these skills now? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 52 (%) | Description: Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action. |
Transferable Skills
| Transferable Skills (in order of importance)
These are skills that can transfer across occupations and industries. For the Top 5 most important, how can you strengthen these skills now so they support both this career and future career flexibility? |
|
| Importance (%) | Description |
| Importance: 60 (%) | Description: Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly. |
| Importance: 58 (%) | Description: Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems. |
| Importance: 54 (%) | Description: Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance. |
Day-in-the-Life Summaries
| Day-in-the-Life Summaries These summaries show the main types of activities you are likely to perform on a regular basis in this occupation. How can you imagine your typical workday — using these examples to see if this type of work fits you? |
| Activity: Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance. |
| Activity: Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas. |
| Activity: Cut materials. |
| Activity: Determine operational methods or procedures. |
| Activity: Disassemble equipment. |
| Activity: Inspect characteristics or conditions of materials or products. |
| Activity: Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment. |
| Activity: Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing. |
| Activity: Maintain tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Mark materials or objects for identification. |
| Activity: Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment. |
| Activity: Monitor equipment operation. |
| Activity: Operate cutting or grinding equipment. |
| Activity: Operate lifting or moving equipment. |
| Activity: Position workpieces or materials on equipment. |
| Activity: Program computer systems or production equipment. |
| Activity: Remove workpieces from production equipment. |
| Activity: Repair tools or equipment. |
| Activity: Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. |
| Activity: Set up equipment. |
| Activity: Test performance of equipment or systems. |
Software Skills
|
Software Skills These are examples of software tools commonly used in this occupation, organized from most to least important for your career preparation. How can you start learning or practicing the highest-priority tools so that you feel confident using them on the job? |
| Emerging Tech Skills |
| Computer aided design CAD software: |
| Autodesk AutoCAD |
| Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks |
| Desktop publishing software: |
| Adobe InDesign |
| Document management software: |
| Adobe Acrobat |
| Electronic mail software: |
| Microsoft Outlook |
| Graphics or photo imaging software: |
| Adobe Creative Cloud software Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop |
| Object or component oriented development software: |
| Oracle Java |
| Office suite software: |
| Microsoft Office software |
| Operating system software: |
| Apple macOS Microsoft Windows |
| Presentation software: |
| Microsoft PowerPoint |
| Spreadsheet software: |
| Microsoft Excel |
| Word processing software: |
| Microsoft Word |
| General Software Tools |
| Computer aided design CAD software: |
| Computer aided design and drafting CADD software Dassault Systemes CATIA Vero Software ALPHACAM |
| Data base user interface and query software: |
| AS/400 Database |
| Industrial control software: |
| Computerized numerical control CNC software |
| Inventory management software: |
| Inventory control software |
| Time accounting software: |
| Timekeeping software |
| Video creation and editing software: |
| YouTube |
Preparation Required
| Preparation Required - How much preparation is needed to obtain this type of job? |
| Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed |
| Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. |
| Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training. |
| These occupations involve following instructions and often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include dishwashers, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, counter and rental clerks, dental laboratory technicians, and security guards. |
Education Required
| Education Required - by frequency of educational attainment This shows you details about the level of education most commonly held by workers in this occupation. How can you begin planning the educational pathway that will prepare you best for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Education |
| Frequency of Attainment: 73.1 (%) | Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) |
| Frequency of Attainment: 20.7 (%) | Level of Education: Less than a High School Diploma |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.6 (%) | Level of Education: Post-Secondary Certificate |
| Frequency of Attainment: 1.7 (%) | Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree |
Training and Experience Required
| Training and Experience Required - by frequency of training and work experience attainment This section shows you how often different types of training and work experience are required for this occupation. How can you start gaining the kinds of experience and training that are most common for this type of work? |
|
| Frequency of Attainment (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience |
| Frequency of Attainment: 25.9 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 21.7 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: None |
| Frequency of Attainment: 15.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 9.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year |
| Frequency of Attainment: 8.5 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 7.6 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months |
| Frequency of Attainment: 7.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years |
| Frequency of Attainment: 4.1 (%) | Level of Training and Work Experience: Up to and including 1 month |
Local Salary Information
Select a State (scroll and Select) :
Please select a State to see State and National Salaries
Professional Associations
| Professional Associations These associations connect people who work in this occupation or related fields. How can you start using these associations to learn more, build your network, or find mentoring opportunities? |
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National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA)
| |
Job Listings
| Job Listings and Similar Occupational Titles - scroll and click to identify common requirements, keywords, and skills in current job listings |
Related Careers to Consider
Step 4 of 4: Career-Specific Resources
This section contains detailed external resources appropriate to "Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing". Explore these resources to start learning more. Links are constantly updated, so bookmark this page.
Videos
Here is a listing of videos related to this career. A great way to get a quick overview of the occupation.
Resumes
Here are resources that allow you to see example resumes for this occupation. It may be helpful to see examples from others who have this type of experience.
Job Description
Here are resources that provide job descriptions, which are vital for resume and interview preparation.
Interviews
There are many great resources that can help guide you through the interview process. These links provide help in preparing and performing an effective interview, specific to this occupation.
Step-by-Step
Here are links to help guide you, step-by-step, to become a(n): Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
LinkedIn®
Here are links to various posts and groups from LinkedIn ® that relate to this occupation. Great way to start building professional contacts in the field that might be most appropriate for you.
Developed by Dr. Ralph Jagodka, Ed.D., Professor Emeritus of Business Management at Mt. San Antonio College and author of the Harvard Business Impact article "What to Do When Students Ask You for Career Advice." - Full bio. © 2026 About This Page
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