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The differences between carpenter/labours and construction assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a construction assistant has an average salary of $39,072, which is higher than the $36,131 average annual salary of a carpenter/labour.
The top three skills for a carpenter/labour include roofing, safety rules and drywall installation. The most important skills for a construction assistant are safety procedures, construction projects, and general contractors.
| Carpenter/Labour | Construction Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,131 | $39,072 |
| Hourly rate | $17.37 | $18.78 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 27,472 | 31,209 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 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 construction assistant performs various clerical and operational support tasks to assist construction managers and maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities usually include monitoring budgets and costs, handling calls and correspondence, purchasing construction materials according to project requirements, liaising with suppliers and construction contractors, and participating in managing the schedules and activities of the workers. A construction assistant may also perform inspections to identify problem areas and ensure that all procedures adhere to the safety codes and standards.
Carpenter/labours and construction assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carpenter/Labour | Construction Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,131 | $39,072 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $28,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Benicia, CA | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | RQ Construction | Beazer Homes |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a carpenter/labour and a construction assistant in terms of educational background:
| Carpenter/Labour | Construction Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 47% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carpenter/labours' and construction assistants' demographics:
| Carpenter/Labour | Construction Assistant | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% |
| 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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 30.8% Asian, 2.4% White, 50.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |