How much does a carpenter make?

The average carpenter salary in the United States is $41,748. Carpenter salaries typically range between $31,000 and $54,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for carpenters is $20.07 per hour. Carpenter salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Carpenters earn the highest average salary in New Jersey.

Carpenter salary

Q: What state pays Carpenters the most?

New Jersey pays Carpenters the most in the United States, with an average salary of $56,881 per year, or $27.35 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a carpenter?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a carpenter if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New York you should be paid close to $54,890 per year.

Q: What is a good starting salary for a Carpenter?

A good starting salary for a carpenter is $30,000 in the United States. That puts you in the 10th percentile of annual income for a carpenter in the U.S., which is about what you would expect if you were new to the field. The average salary for carpenters is $40,445, but that normally requires some level of experience to achieve. Furthermore, a good starting salary for a carpenter can vary by state.

Q: Do carpenters make good money?

Yes, carpenters make good money. The average annual salary for a carpenter is $41,758, putting them well over the national average for other jobs requiring only a high-school diploma.

Q: How much does the average carpenter make per year?

The average carpenter makes $41,758 per year or $20.08 per hour. These are the states with the highest annual salary averages for carpenters: Hawaii New Jersey Illinois Alaska New York

Q: What is a carpenter's pay?

A carpenter's pay is $20.08 per hour, on average. This equates to $41,758 annually. Master carpenters and carpenters who advance to foreman or superintendent have the potential to earn even more, with foremen earning an annual average of $45,321 and superintendents around $70,000.

Average carpenter salary

$41,748

$20.07 hourly rate

Entry-level carpenter salary

$31,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Carpenter Salaries

The salary for carpenters varies significantly depending on factors such as location, experience, and specialization. On average, carpenters earn about $41,748 annually, translating to approximately $20 per hour. However, salaries can be higher in regions with a robust construction market, such as California and New York, where experienced carpenters often earn upwards of $60,000.

Carpentry offers diverse career paths, from residential framing to commercial construction. Entry-level positions may start lower, but with experience, carpenters can increase their earnings significantly. For example, a carpenter with five to ten years of experience typically sees a salary increase of 15-20% compared to entry-level wages.

In addition to state averages, carpenters specializing in niches such as cabinetry or roofing may command higher rates. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for individuals considering a career in carpentry or those looking to advance their skills and earnings. Explore your potential in this rewarding field and find job opportunities that match your interests and skills.

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Carpenter salary by:

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Where can a Carpenter earn more?

Compare salary by location

69k

49k

29k

Columbus, OH$55,043

Columbus, GA$39,032

Compare salary by company

81k

61k

41k

21k

Argonne National Laboratory$62,490

Cleveland Construction$50,525

Carpenter salaries by experience level

Experience level	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
Entry-level carpenter	$25,400	$12.21
Mid-level carpenter	$39,500	$18.98
Senior-level carpenter	$51,300	$24.68

Carpenter salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a carpenter typically falls between $38,774 and $62,776.

zippia

$41,748yearly

comparably[1]

$38,774yearly

Salary.com[2]

$62,776yearly

ZipRecruiter[3]

$52,300yearly

SalaryExpert[4]

$52,081yearly

CareerExplorer[5]

$48,260yearly

Average carpenter salary by state

The average carpenter salary in New Jersey, New York, and California are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average carpenter salary states are Alabama, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for carpenters

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Connecticut	$53,424	$25.68
2	Vermont	$47,363	$22.77
3	New Jersey	$56,881	$27.35
4	Wyoming	$40,966	$19.70
5	Nevada	$47,780	$22.97
6	Washington	$49,429	$23.76
7	New York	$54,890	$26.39
8	New Hampshire	$45,963	$22.10
9	California	$54,669	$26.28
10	Massachusetts	$52,926	$25.45
11	Maine	$41,908	$20.15
12	Alaska	$43,465	$20.90
13	Rhode Island	$47,858	$23.01
14	Maryland	$47,866	$23.01
15	Delaware	$44,364	$21.33
16	Pennsylvania	$44,829	$21.55
17	Ohio	$43,195	$20.77
18	Tennessee	$38,691	$18.60
19	Hawaii	$43,659	$20.99
20	District of Columbia	$50,470	$24.26
21	Arizona	$42,741	$20.55
22	Oregon	$41,917	$20.15
23	Virginia	$42,778	$20.57
24	Missouri	$42,589	$20.48
25	North Dakota	$38,262	$18.40
26	Colorado	$41,482	$19.94
27	Wisconsin	$39,089	$18.79
28	Illinois	$43,150	$20.75
29	Louisiana	$39,027	$18.76
30	Indiana	$39,274	$18.88
31	Montana	$36,895	$17.74
32	Minnesota	$41,089	$19.75
33	Kentucky	$38,211	$18.37
34	South Carolina	$37,098	$17.84
35	Florida	$37,715	$18.13
36	Georgia	$38,695	$18.60
37	Michigan	$38,577	$18.55
38	Utah	$35,155	$16.90
39	Idaho	$35,106	$16.88
40	Arkansas	$37,660	$18.11
41	Iowa	$34,690	$16.68
42	Oklahoma	$36,208	$17.41
43	Mississippi	$35,878	$17.25
44	South Dakota	$32,524	$15.64
45	Texas	$36,825	$17.70
46	Kansas	$34,075	$16.38
47	Alabama	$33,399	$16.06
48	North Carolina	$32,479	$15.61
49	Nebraska	$31,962	$15.37
50	West Virginia	$31,616	$15.20
51	New Mexico	$32,920	$15.83

Top carpenter jobs near you

Highest paying cities for carpenters

The highest-paying cities for carpenters are New York, NY, Los Angeles, CA, and Boston, MA.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New York, NY	$55,043	$26.46
2	Los Angeles, CA	$54,827	$26.36
3	Boston, MA	$52,932	$25.45
4	Seattle, WA	$49,686	$23.89
5	Baltimore, MD	$48,214	$23.18
6	Las Vegas, NV	$47,878	$23.02
7	Manchester, NH	$45,991	$22.11
8	Chicago, IL	$43,321	$20.83
9	Phoenix, AZ	$42,779	$20.57
10	Saint Louis, MO	$42,722	$20.54
11	Columbus, OH	$42,702	$20.53
12	Richmond, VA	$42,414	$20.39
13	Portland, ME	$42,230	$20.30
14	Colorado Springs, CO	$41,781	$20.09
15	Portland, OR	$41,668	$20.03
16	Minneapolis, MN	$41,069	$19.74
17	Milwaukee, WI	$39,170	$18.83
18	Indianapolis, IN	$39,128	$18.81
19	New Orleans, LA	$39,103	$18.80
20	Columbus, GA	$39,032	$18.77

Carpenters are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Carpenter salary details

A carpenter's salary ranges from $31,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $54,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average carpenter salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a carpenter's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$54,000	$4,500	$26
75th Percentile	$48,000	$4,000	$23
Average	$41,748	$3,479	$20
25th Percentile	$36,000	$3,000	$17
10th Percentile	$31,000	$2,583	$15

Highest paying carpenter jobs

The highest paying types of carpenters are carpenter foreman, journeyman, and construction foreman.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Construction Foreman	$57,121	$4,760	$27.46	40,621
Journeyman	$57,682	$4,807	$27.73	13,953
Mason	$43,974	$3,664	$21.14	15,057
General Foreman	$48,517	$4,043	$23.33	49,875
Prestressed Concrete Labour	$34,147	$2,846	$16.42	27,259
Framer	$34,298	$2,858	$16.49	5,247

Top companies hiring carpenters now:

Which companies pay carpenters the most?

Carpenter salaries at Argonne National Laboratory and AbbVie are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average carpenter salary at companies like Sandia National Labs and Columbia University in the City of New York are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Argonne National Laboratory	$62,490	$30.04
2	AbbVie	$61,029	$29.34
3	Sandia National Labs	$58,694	$28.22
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	$55,024	$26.45
5	The Pennington School	$53,381	$25.66
6	University of California	$53,369	$25.66
7	Tenet Healthcare	$53,356	$25.65
8	Hyatt Hotels	$52,939	$25.45
9	University of California-Berkeley	$52,531	$25.26
10	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$51,990	$25.00
11	The University of Chicago	$51,851	$24.93
12	UC Santa Barbara	$51,764	$24.89
13	Princeton University	$51,199	$24.61
14	Kloeckner Metals	$51,144	$24.59
15	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$51,045	$24.54
16	Carnival Cruise Line	$50,936	$24.49
17	Engelberth Construction	$50,649	$24.35
18	Pepper Construction	$50,604	$24.33
19	Turner Construction	$50,568	$24.31
20	Cleveland Construction	$50,525	$24.29

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$43,000$42,800$42,600$42,400$42,200$42,000

MaleFemale

Carpenter salary trends

The average carpenter salary has risen by $8,018 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average carpenter earned $33,730 annually, but today, they earn $41,748 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for carpenters over the last decade.

Compare carpenter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average carpenter salary over time

Compare carpenter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Carpenter salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$41,700	$20.07	+2.4%
2024	$40,700	$19.59	+3.6%
2023	$39,300	$18.88	+3.0%
2022	$38,100	$18.31	+3.5%
2021	$36,800	$17.67	+3.5%

Recently added carpenter salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Disneyland Resort	Carpenter	Anaheim, CA	06/30/2025	$71,626
Paul Davis	Experienced Carpenter	Hardwick, VT	06/30/2025	$31,305
Peopleready	Senior Carpenter	Hilo, HI	06/30/2025	$70,958
Apltd Branding	Carpenter	Rochester, MN	06/30/2025	$84,941
Apltd Branding	Carpenter	Bismarck, ND	06/30/2025	$72,231
Apltd Branding	Carpenter	Richardson, TX	06/30/2025	$54,262
Apltd Branding	Carpenter	Aurora, CO	06/30/2025	$39,653
Us Lbm Service Co	Window Carpenter	Montrose, MN	06/29/2025	$41,740
Aerotek	Carpenter	Hagerstown, MD	06/28/2025	$52,175
Tradesmen International	Carpenter	Joliet, IL	06/28/2025	$58,436

Carpenter salary FAQs

What state pays Carpenters the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a carpenter?

What is a good starting salary for a Carpenter?

Do carpenters make good money?

How much does the average carpenter make per year?

What is a carpenter's pay?

Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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