How to hire a journeyman carpenter

How to hire a journeyman carpenter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step journeyman carpenter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a journeyman carpenter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman carpenter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a journeyman carpenter do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the journeyman carpenter you need to hire. Certain journeyman carpenter roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A journeyman carpenter's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, journeyman carpenters from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of journeyman carpenters and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Journeyman Carpenter	Description	Hourly rate
   Journeyman Carpenter	Carpenters construct and repair building frameworks and structures—such as stairways, doorframes, partitions, rafters, and bridge supports—made from wood and other materials. They also may install kitchen cabinets, siding, and drywall.	$17-30
   Prestressed Concrete Labour	Prestressed concrete labor works at construction sites where they are in charge of handling and processing prestressed concrete materials into structural forms. They typically coordinate with managers and engineers to learn the construction plans and guidelines, design and build structures, prepare materials, and perform corrective measures when necessary... Show more	$12-20
   General Foreman	Using their knowledge and expertise of all construction disciplines, a general foreman plans and oversees operations within a construction site to ensure that everything is running smoothly. They are typically in charge of conducting regular inspections, coordinating with engineers and architects, managing the budget and expenditures, supervising workers, and ensuring that the project moves according to the desired time frame... Show more	$17-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Safety Rules
   • Work Ethic
   • Ladders
   • Scaffolding
   • Scissor Lifts
   • Clean Environment
   • Door Frames
   • Power Saws
   • Boom Lifts
   • Door Hardware
   • Floor Tile
   • Window Frames
   • OSHA

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage complete renovations and new construction of banks for commercial construction company.
   • Supervise construction of residential home additions, roofing, decking and siding projects for a residential remodeling organization.
   • Manage complete renovations and new construction of banks for commercial construction company.

   More journeyman carpenter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the journeyman carpenter job description is a good way to get more applicants. A journeyman carpenter salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a journeyman carpenter in Idaho may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level journeyman carpenter. Additionally, a journeyman carpenter with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average journeyman carpenter salary

   $48,428yearly

   $23.28 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level journeyman carpenter salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average journeyman carpenter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$65,668	$32
   2	Washington	$63,518	$31
   3	Massachusetts	$60,335	$29
   4	Nevada	$53,403	$26
   5	Oregon	$52,231	$25
   6	Pennsylvania	$51,333	$25
   7	New York	$50,757	$24
   8	Colorado	$49,249	$24
   9	Minnesota	$48,995	$24
   10	Arizona	$46,512	$22
   11	Missouri	$45,818	$22
   12	Montana	$45,779	$22
   13	Wisconsin	$45,272	$22
   14	Texas	$44,241	$21
   15	Ohio	$44,096	$21
   16	Illinois	$43,427	$21
   17	Arkansas	$42,322	$20
   18	Indiana	$42,133	$20
   19	Kansas	$42,083	$20
   20	Iowa	$41,897	$20

   Average journeyman carpenter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory	$67,681	$32.54
   2	Turner Construction	$57,608	$27.70	15
   3	Pepper Construction	$57,056	$27.43
   4	Wanzek Construction	$56,800	$27.31
   5	RailWorks	$55,311	$26.59	2
   6	Kiewit	$55,208	$26.54	9
   7	Haskell	$55,165	$26.52
   8	McCarthy Holdings, Inc.	$54,224	$26.07	28
   9	Abbott Clinic	$53,430	$25.69
   10	TIC Holdings Inc	$52,311	$25.15
   11	Swinerton	$52,129	$25.06	7
   12	Matrix Service Company	$50,626	$24.34	12
   13	Hogan & Associates Construction	$50,456	$24.26	3
   14	MasTec	$49,416	$23.76	34
   15	Colonial Williamsburg Foundation	$48,419	$23.28	1
   16	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$48,161	$23.15
   17	PeopleReady	$46,644	$22.43	15
   18	Aerotek	$46,531	$22.37	97
   19	MGM Resorts International	$46,515	$22.36
   20	Jackson Properties	$46,325	$22.27

4. Writing a journeyman carpenter job description

   A job description for a journeyman carpenter role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a journeyman carpenter job description:

   Journeyman carpenter job description example

   PAY $35-$45 Per Hour

   COMPANY BACKGROUND and VALUES

   The owners of Benchmark Home Construction, Inc. have 15 years in the industry. Our company has been featured on HGTV's Brother vs. Brother and has won Best of Service on Houzz 3 years back-to-back.

   We are a remodeling contractor specializing in Kitchens, Bathrooms, Additions and Whole House Remodeling.

   We approach all our projects big or small with the same care as if we are working on our own homes.

   WHY WORK FOR US?

   We are looking for the right person to join our growing team. We are not just looking for anyone, we are looking for a Journeyman Carpenter who values increasing the livability of a home, who likes to collaborate and work with a team, and who wants work/life balance . We pay to train employees who want to advance their skills , so we send our carpenters to industry training whenever possible.

   We are looking for someone who can stand back at the end of a job and honestly say that they have given their best effort .

   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A REMODELING CARPENTER

   Our Carpenters will complete 4-5 projects a month , gain satisfaction through working on a variety of upscale homes, and from seeing a beautiful finished product every month . Our carpenters work mostly in Contra Costa and have the opportunity to produce high-quality results . If you like getting out of the daily routine , this is the job for you!

   
   

   THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE

   • MUST HAVE 5+ years of experience as a remodeling carpenter (not Commercial work)
   • Experience in Framing, Plumbing, Electrical and Finish Carpentry. (Tile installation is a plus)
   • Have a valid California Driver's License and own transportation to/from jobs
   • Possess a great attitude, have pride in your workmanship, be willing to learn
   • Be safety-minded in all that you do
   • Possess excellent customer service skills and respect the customers property
   • Be able to lead a job or work as part of a team with a crew

   If you are a professional carpenter and meet these qualifications, we want to hear from you.

   PAY $35-$45 Per Hour

   We offer excellent compensation and work environment.

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right journeyman carpenter for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with journeyman carpenters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit journeyman carpenters who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   To find journeyman carpenter candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as constructionjobs.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting journeyman carpenters requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new journeyman carpenter

   Once you've decided on a perfect journeyman carpenter candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new journeyman carpenter. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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