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The differences between carpenter/labours 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/labour and a finish carpenter. Additionally, a finish carpenter has an average salary of $46,987, 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 finish carpenter are hand tools, custom cabinets, and safety rules.
| Carpenter/Labour | Finish Carpenter | |
| Yearly salary | $36,131 | $46,987 |
| Hourly rate | $17.37 | $22.59 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 27,472 | 11,653 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| 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.
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/labours and finish carpenters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Carpenter/Labour | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average salary | $36,131 | $46,987 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $34,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Benicia, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | RQ Construction | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a carpenter/labour and a finish carpenter in terms of educational background:
| Carpenter/Labour | Finish Carpenter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between carpenter/labours' and finish carpenters' demographics:
| Carpenter/Labour | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% |
| 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, 7.3% 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% |