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The differences between carpenter/labours and carpenter helpers 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/labour and a carpenter helper. Additionally, a carpenter/labour has an average salary of $36,131, which is higher than the $34,192 average annual salary of a carpenter helper.
The top three skills for a carpenter/labour include roofing, safety rules and drywall installation. The most important skills for a carpenter helper are hand tools, ladders, and safety rules.
| Carpenter/Labour | Carpenter Helper | |
| Yearly salary | $36,131 | $34,192 |
| Hourly rate | $17.37 | $16.44 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 27,472 | 29,208 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Carpenters/ Laborers do general maintenance tasks and help in mechanical and carpentry-related jobs. Carpenters are versatile workers and perform different construction duties. They construct, install, erect, and repair structures and fixtures. Blueprints and building plans are followed by carpenters to meet their customer's needs. Typically, they install structures and fixtures like windows and molding. They also construct building frameworks like floors, walls, and door frames. Additionally, they operate forklifts, wheel loaders, skid steers, and similar equipment. Qualified applicants need manual dexterity, a good sense of balance as well as hand-eye coordination and must be physically fit.
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.
Carpenter/labours and carpenter helpers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carpenter/Labour | Carpenter Helper | |
| Average salary | $36,131 | $34,192 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $25,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Benicia, CA | Northampton, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | RQ Construction | Black & Veatch |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a carpenter/labour and a carpenter helper in terms of educational background:
| Carpenter/Labour | Carpenter Helper | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carpenter/labours' and carpenter helpers' demographics:
| Carpenter/Labour | Carpenter Helper | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |