How much do carpenters make in 2026?
Carpenters have their own BLS wage series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 47-2031 national median at $60,580 a year ($29.12 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $40,410 and the top 10% at $99,910. That single code covers a very broad trade — rough framing, concrete formwork, interior systems and metal stud, trim and finish work, and commercial carpentry on large projects — so the spread inside it reflects genuinely different jobs rather than only different skill levels. Three factors explain most of the range. Sector comes first: residential framing on production housing is priced tightly and sits in the lower half, while commercial and industrial carpentry, particularly formwork on concrete structures and interior systems on large projects, sits well above it. Union membership is the second, and it is the clearest single dividing line in the trade — collective agreements in metropolitan markets set higher hourly rates and add benefit contributions that never appear in a wage statistic. The third is specialisation: formwork, stair building, architectural millwork and scaffolding-adjacent structural work all pay above general carpentry. Progression to foreman, superintendent or self-employment is where the top decile actually sits. Employment is projected to grow 4.5% through 2034 with roughly 74,100 openings a year. → Full carpenter career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $60,580 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Carpenters earn a national median $60,580/yr ($29.12/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2031); the P10 to P90 range is $40,410 to $99,910.
- The $60,580 median covers a very broad trade — framing, formwork, interior systems, trim and commercial carpentry — so the $40,410 to $99,910 range reflects different work, not only different skill.
- Union agreements in metropolitan markets are the clearest dividing line, setting higher hourly rates plus benefit contributions that never appear in a wage figure.
- Formwork, stair building and architectural millwork pay above general carpentry, and the top decile is mostly foremen, superintendents and self-employed carpenters.
US Carpenter Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do carpenters earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-2031; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2031, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a carpenter earn at each career stage?
Carpentry pay follows sector, specialism and supervisory responsibility. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-2031, a broad series covering every kind of carpentry.
By State
Which states pay carpenters the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. In carpentry the state figure hides the factor that matters most: whether the local market is union or open shop, which moves hourly rates more than state cost of living does.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($69,670), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
carpenter pay by state — all 5 state guides
By Metro
Which cities pay carpenters the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro premiums in this trade largely track union density and commercial construction volume, which are concentrated in a relatively small number of markets.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a carpenter’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does carpenter pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Carpenters sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify carpenter wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a carpenter actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Carpenter Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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