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The differences between carpenters and construction workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a carpenter has an average salary of $41,748, which is higher than the $31,842 average annual salary of a construction worker.
The top three skills for a carpenter include hand tools, ladders and install windows. The most important skills for a construction worker are roofing, safety rules, and sheetrock.
| Carpenter | Construction Worker | |
| Yearly salary | $41,748 | $31,842 |
| Hourly rate | $20.07 | $15.31 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 5,862 | 53,067 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.86 | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 12 | - |
A carpenter is a skilled worker responsible for different areas of construction. Carpenters perform fabrication from raw materials. They use tools to create a successful finished product on their client's request. Carpenters must be able to multi-task, resolve any possible complications, strictly follow safety standards, and ensure that the project adheres to protocols without compromising quality and accuracy of work. Since carpentry is physical labor, carpenters are expected to be physically fit to accomplish various maintenance and production tasks.
Construction workers are part of a crew laborers responsible for a number of easy to extremely challenging and hazardous on-site constructions tasks such as preparing the area, clearing debris, building scaffolding, bracing, loading and unloading building materials, and assisting with operating heavy equipment like concrete mixers. They specialize in a variety of occupations that involve building homes and businesses, roads and highways, tearing down properties, removing high-risk materials, and in the digging of tunnels and mine shafts. They test machinery and equipment to ensure they are working properly. They may also transport stocks and materials from suppliers and vehicles to the job site.
Carpenters and construction workers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carpenter | Construction Worker | |
| Average salary | $41,748 | $31,842 |
| Salary range | Between $31,000 And $54,000 | Between $23,000 And $43,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Argonne National Laboratory | CDM Smith |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a carpenter and a construction worker in terms of educational background:
| Carpenter | Construction Worker | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 42% | High School Diploma, 51% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carpenters' and construction workers' demographics:
| Carpenter | Construction Worker | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% | Male, 93.8% Female, 6.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 27.7% Asian, 2.8% White, 52.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |