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The differences between electricians and carpenters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an electrician and a carpenter. Additionally, an electrician has an average salary of $48,850, which is higher than the $41,748 average annual salary of a carpenter.
The top three skills for an electrician include hand tools, electrical equipment and run conduit. The most important skills for a carpenter are hand tools, ladders, and install windows.
| Electrician | Carpenter | |
| Yearly salary | $48,850 | $41,748 |
| Hourly rate | $23.49 | $20.07 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 17,245 | 5,862 |
| Job satisfaction | 3.86 | 4.86 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
An electrician is a skilled tradesman in charge of wirings and systems which provide electric power to a facility. They are trained to design, install, maintain, and troubleshoot electrical wiring systems. There are four basic types of an electrician - residential wiremen, inside wiremen, telecommunications electrician, and outside linemen. Some work on a standard 40-hour week shift while others are on-call duty. In some cases, traveling is also a vital key to their role where they would work for a few days before moving to another location.
A carpenter is a skilled worker responsible for different areas of construction. Carpenters perform fabrication from raw materials. They use tools to create a successful finished product on their client's request. Carpenters must be able to multi-task, resolve any possible complications, strictly follow safety standards, and ensure that the project adheres to protocols without compromising quality and accuracy of work. Since carpentry is physical labor, carpenters are expected to be physically fit to accomplish various maintenance and production tasks.
Electricians and carpenters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrician | Carpenter | |
| Average salary | $48,850 | $41,748 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $73,000 | Between $31,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | PBF Energy | Argonne National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Construction |
There are a few differences between an electrician and a carpenter in terms of educational background:
| Electrician | Carpenter | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 32% | High School Diploma, 42% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between electricians' and carpenters' demographics:
| Electrician | Carpenter | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4% | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 2.2% White, 63.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 23.3% Asian, 1.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 2% |