Carpenter: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.
The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.
10% of carpenters earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $40,410
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
25% of carpenters earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $48,510
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Half of carpenters earn more than this and half earn less.
- Annual
- $60,580
- Hourly
- $29.12
- Source
- BLS May 2025
75% of carpenters earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $76,830
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
90% of carpenters earn less than this amount.
- Annual
- $99,910
- Hourly
- n/a
- Source
- BLS May 2025
Carpenters construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. The median pay is $60,580 a year ($29.12 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent (52% of workers surveyed by O*NET).
- Median pay
- $60,580
- BLS May 2025
- Employed in the U.S.
- 670,090
- BLS May 2025
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- some preparation
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 52% of workers
Every page for Carpenters
Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.
Open →How to becomeCarpenter how to becomeEducation, training and the skills to build first.
Open →ResumeCarpenter resumeKeywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.
Open →Career changeCarpenter career changeWhere these skills transfer, with skill match and pay change.
Open →Free toolCheck your resumeParsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.
Open →What carpenters do day to day
Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).
- Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
- Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
- Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
- Select and order lumber or other required materials.
- Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
- Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
- Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work.
- Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's hand tools, or power tools.
Ranked by importance to the job
Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.
Knowledge areas: Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Design, Engineering and Technology, Public Safety and Security.
Software carpenters use
Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.
- Drawing and drafting softwareComputer aided design CAD software
- Renaissance MasterCarpenterInformation retrieval or search software
- Intuit QuickBooksAccounting softwareHot technology
- Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
- Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareHot technology
- Microsoft WindowsOperating system softwareHot technology
- Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology
- Bosch Punch ListProject management software
- Craftsman CD EstimatorProject management software
- Estimating softwareProject management software
- Job costing softwareAccounting software
- QuickenAccounting software
Also called: Bridge Carpenter, Cabinet Maker, Carpentry Construction Specialist, Concrete Carpenter, Construction Carpenter, Finish Carpenter.
Similar careers to explore
How this page is built
Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.
- How a specific employer defines the job.
- Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
- Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).