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The differences between commercial carpenters 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 commercial carpenter and a carpenter helper. Additionally, a commercial carpenter has an average salary of $46,563, which is higher than the $34,192 average annual salary of a carpenter helper.
The top three skills for a commercial carpenter include hand tools, ladders and OSHA. The most important skills for a carpenter helper are hand tools, ladders, and safety rules.
| Commercial Carpenter | Carpenter Helper | |
| Yearly salary | $46,563 | $34,192 |
| Hourly rate | $22.39 | $16.44 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 41,355 | 29,208 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
Commercial carpenters specialize in woodworks and are typically found in construction sites. They operate machinery and a range of equipment unfamiliar to residential carpenters. These carpenters provide their professional services to the construction of churches, bridges, schools, hospitals, and the like. Their job includes installing window frames, staircases, doors, and shelf fixtures. They usually work on more complex and sophisticated structures requiring their companies, agencies, or employers to give them health and safety insurance, given that they adhere to all safety rules and regulations.
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.
Commercial carpenters and carpenter helpers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Carpenter | Carpenter Helper | |
| Average salary | $46,563 | $34,192 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $61,000 | Between $25,000 And $45,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Northampton, MA |
| Highest paying state | California | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Sundt Construction | Black & Veatch |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a commercial carpenter and a carpenter helper in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Carpenter | Carpenter Helper | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | High School Diploma, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between commercial carpenters' and carpenter helpers' demographics:
| Commercial Carpenter | Carpenter Helper | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 97.7% Female, 2.3% | 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% |