Seedling. Hourly Wage: State Minimum (~$7–$15/hr) or Unpaid

It's early on in your career and you're just starting to learn the ropes. If you took a few years to gain knowledge in technical school, you'll probably need one more year of on-the-job training to land your own position. If you went straight into the working world, you're looking at two to three more years with an experienced woodworker by your side. Soak up knowledge and get ready to bud, little seedling.

Sapling. Hourly Wage: State Minimum (~$7–$15/hr) or Unpaid

Look at how you've grown. Your skills are getting much stronger and your mentor even let you operate the table saw on your own (this time your shirt sleeve didn't even get caught). The pay is still pretty dismal, but you're almost at the point where your boss will consider you for an actual, full-time position in the shop. Is it bad that you're praying someone accidentally lobs off a hand so that a spot will open up in time?

Branching Out. Salary: $28,440

Okay, you feel bad for Brad and his missing hand, but you're a full-fledged woodworker now. Who knew making cabinets could be so exciting? You're still getting the handle of operating the computers and don't necessarily love sharing your responsibilities with technology (what happened to the beauty of handmade products?), but you do love being a salaried employee. There's even talk of you getting your own apprentice soon. Let's just hope it's not Brad's son.

Uprooting. Salary: $25,000

After five years in the shop, you decided to venture out on your own to start a custom cabinet making operation from your home workshop. Those machines were doing all the heavy lifting, anyway, and you knew your craftsmanship could make a serious mark with local clients. It's been a hard road this first year figuring out how to operate a business, but you're starting to get your head above water and even managed to pay yourself a modest salary. As the books fill up, your confidence grows and you start to plant new roots in the community.

Mature Growth. Salary: $55,000

Whoever said money doesn't grow on trees never used those trees to make cabinets. Since starting your business, profits have more than doubled. Despite the fact that you barely have time to breathe these days, you love what you're doing and it shows in the amount of clients you've been able to drum up. If business keeps up at this rate, you'll be able put away enough savings to get some new equipment and maybe even take a vacation. Though, really, who's got that time for that?