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The differences between carpenter helpers and finish carpenters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a carpenter helper and a finish carpenter. Additionally, a finish carpenter has an average salary of $46,987, which is higher than the $34,192 average annual salary of a carpenter helper.
The top three skills for a carpenter helper include hand tools, ladders and safety rules. The most important skills for a finish carpenter are hand tools, custom cabinets, and safety rules.
| Carpenter Helper | Finish Carpenter | |
| Yearly salary | $34,192 | $46,987 |
| Hourly rate | $16.44 | $22.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 29,208 | 11,653 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A carpenter helper is responsible for assisting carpenters with the construction duties, performing construction tasks as needed, and ensuring the completion of the project timely and efficiently. Carpenter helpers maintain the construction tools and equipment, including cleaning the materials before and after every use and inspecting for any possible defects. They also help with measuring surfaces to establish reference points for the installment of systems and other construction materials. A carpenter helper must have excellent communication and organizational skills, having the initiative to perform heavy-duty tasks under minimal supervision.
Finish carpenters are skilled professionals who perform the final touches on homes after the structure is fully built. These carpenters must carry out various tasks such as installing doors, building bookshelves, and adding designs to window and door trims. They are required to follow work from sketches and drawings to complete the job to the right specifications as well as collecting the correct materials before beginning a job. Finish carpenters must also dismantle and demolish before carrying out repairs or installing new materials.
Carpenter helpers and finish carpenters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carpenter Helper | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average salary | $34,192 | $46,987 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $45,000 | Between $34,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Northampton, MA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Black & Veatch | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a carpenter helper and a finish carpenter in terms of educational background:
| Carpenter Helper | Finish Carpenter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 53% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carpenter helpers' and finish carpenters' demographics:
| Carpenter Helper | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 1.7% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |