Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between construction carpenters 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 construction carpenter and a finish carpenter. Additionally, a finish carpenter has an average salary of $46,987, which is higher than the $36,405 average annual salary of a construction carpenter.
The top three skills for a construction carpenter include hand tools, safety rules and ladders. The most important skills for a finish carpenter are hand tools, custom cabinets, and safety rules.
A construction carpenter builds, designs, and installs structures, furniture, and fixtures from various materials. They are responsible for understanding and meeting the clients' needs, adhering to blueprints, operating different tools and equipment, measuring and cutting materials such as wood and metal, shaping and assembling various parts, and performing repairs or replacements. There are also instances where they must climb up high places, install doors and windows, and provide cost estimates to clients. Moreover, a construction carpenter typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a safe and efficient workflow.
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.
Construction carpenters and finish carpenters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Construction Carpenter | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average salary | $36,405 | $46,987 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $47,000 | Between $34,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Garfield, NJ | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | B.R. Fries Constructors | Turner Construction |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a construction carpenter and a finish carpenter in terms of educational background:
| Construction Carpenter | Finish Carpenter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 45% | High School Diploma, 36% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between construction carpenters' and finish carpenters' demographics:
| Construction Carpenter | Finish Carpenter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.9% Female, 3.1% | Male, 96.5% Female, 3.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 1.6% White, 61.9% 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% |