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What does a journeyman carpenter do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
What does a journeyman carpenter do

Journeyman carpenters perform carpentry work in buildings and repair structures and elements, primarily by using wood and metal. Journeyman carpenters work directly in a team while reporting to a foreman. Most construction companies, builders, and construction staff hire journeyman carpenters to work mostly during daytime weekday shifts, but evening shifts, weekend, and on-call basis hours are sometimes required. Travel is commonly required for this job, as journeyman carpenters go to and from different supply houses, job sites, and the company shop.

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Journeyman carpenter responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real journeyman carpenter resumes:

  • 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.

Journeyman carpenter skills and personality traits

We calculated that 14% of Journeyman Carpenters are proficient in Hand Tools, Safety Rules, and Work Ethic. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.

We break down the percentage of Journeyman Carpenters that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Hand Tools, 14%

    Examine structural timers and supports to detect decay and replace timbers as required, using hand tools, nuts and bolts.

  • Safety Rules, 10%

    Supervised several-man crews, overseeing proper safety rules, regulations are being met, as well as overall work performance.

  • Work Ethic, 10%

    Recognized for superior work ethic and quality production.

  • Ladders, 10%

    Lay out building wood forms ,ladders job built scaffolds.

  • Scaffolding, 8%

    Assembled scaffolding for structural repairs at refinery facility.

  • Scissor Lifts, 6%

    Operated power saws, impact drivers, scissor lifts, and boom lifts.

"hand tools," "safety rules," and "work ethic" are among the most common skills that journeyman carpenters use at work. You can find even more journeyman carpenter responsibilities below, including:

Business skills. One of the key soft skills for a journeyman carpenter to have is business skills. You can see how this relates to what journeyman carpenters do because "self-employed carpenters must conduct activities such as bidding on new jobs, tracking inventory, and directing workers." Additionally, a journeyman carpenter resume shows how journeyman carpenters use business skills: "constructed residential homes and commercial businesses. "

Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform journeyman carpenter duties is detail oriented. Journeyman carpenters responsibilities require that "carpenters must be able to precisely cut, measure, and modify the materials they work with." Journeyman carpenters also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "detail and frame custom homes according to approved plans. "

Dexterity. This is an important skill for journeyman carpenters to perform their duties. For an example of how journeyman carpenter responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination to avoid injuring themselves or damaging materials." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a journeyman carpenter: "red cross adult and pediatric first aid/cpr/aed, aerial & scissor lift certification, scaffolding training. ".

Math skills. A big part of what journeyman carpenters do relies on "math skills." You can see how essential it is to journeyman carpenter responsibilities because "carpenters frequently use math skills, including basic trigonometry, to calculate the area, size, and amount of material needed for the job. ." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical journeyman carpenter tasks: "learned how to operate multiple power tools -learned safety regulations -used mathematics to ensure the safety of structures"

Physical strength. Another common skill required for journeyman carpenter responsibilities is "physical strength." This skill comes up in the duties of journeyman carpenters all the time, as "carpenters use heavy tools and materials that weigh up to 100 pounds." An excerpt from a real journeyman carpenter resume shows how this skill is central to what a journeyman carpenter does: "assemble and maintain physical structures, using hand tools and power tools. "

Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on journeyman carpenter job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in journeyman carpenter duties, since "carpenters may work independently with little guidance." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day journeyman carpenter responsibilities: "framed 3500 square foot custom homes solved various construction problems. "

All journeyman carpenter skills

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Compare different journeyman carpenters

Journeyman carpenter vs. 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. They must also maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating regularly. Moreover, prestressed concrete labor must abide by the construction site's safety policies and regulations for a safe and efficient work environment.

If we compare the average journeyman carpenter annual salary with that of a prestressed concrete labour, we find that prestressed concrete labours typically earn a $14,281 lower salary than journeyman carpenters make annually.Even though journeyman carpenters and prestressed concrete labours are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require hand tools, work ethic, and strong work ethic in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, journeyman carpenter responsibilities require skills like "safety rules," "ladders," "scissor lifts," and "clean environment." Meanwhile a typical prestressed concrete labour has skills in areas such as "rakes," "shovels," "physical labor," and "trowels." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Prestressed concrete labours tend to make the most money working in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $38,973. In contrast, journeyman carpenters make the biggest average salary, $52,038, in the construction industry.The education levels that prestressed concrete labours earn slightly differ from journeyman carpenters. In particular, prestressed concrete labours are 1.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a journeyman carpenter. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Journeyman carpenter vs. Construction assistant

A construction assistant performs various clerical and operational support tasks to assist construction managers and maintain smooth workflow operations. Their responsibilities usually include monitoring budgets and costs, handling calls and correspondence, purchasing construction materials according to project requirements, liaising with suppliers and construction contractors, and participating in managing the schedules and activities of the workers. A construction assistant may also perform inspections to identify problem areas and ensure that all procedures adhere to the safety codes and standards.

Construction assistant positions earn lower pay than journeyman carpenter roles. They earn a $9,356 lower salary than journeyman carpenters per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Journeyman carpenters and construction assistants both require similar skills like "power saws," "plumb bobs," and "drywall installation" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that journeyman carpenter responsibilities requires skills like "hand tools," "safety rules," "work ethic," and "ladders." But a construction assistant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "general contractors," "equipment operators," "manual labor," and "construction management."

On average, construction assistants earn a lower salary than journeyman carpenters. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, construction assistants earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $59,937. Whereas journeyman carpenters have higher pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $52,038.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Construction assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than journeyman carpenters. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Journeyman carpenter vs. 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. Furthermore, a general foreman implements all safety regulations and policies to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.

On average scale, general foremen bring in higher salaries than journeyman carpenters. In fact, they earn a $89 higher salary per year.journeyman carpenters and general foremen both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "safety rules," "power saws," and "osha," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a journeyman carpenter is likely to be skilled in "hand tools," "work ethic," "ladders," and "strong work ethic," while a typical general foreman is skilled in "quality standards," "oversight," "safety policies," and "site safety."

General foremen earn the best pay in the construction industry, where they command an average salary of $54,753. Journeyman carpenters earn the highest pay from the construction industry, with an average salary of $52,038.When it comes to education, general foremen tend to earn similar degree levels compared to journeyman carpenters. In fact, they're 1.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Journeyman carpenter vs. Concrete finisher

A concrete finisher is responsible for smoothing out concrete surfaces, ensuring that the final result followed the design and client's specifications. Concrete finishers operate special construction equipment to stabilize concrete forms. They also analyze blueprints and construction plans to identify necessary techniques and adjustments to deliver a high-quality project. A concrete finisher must also observe strict safety guidelines and procedures for doing the task and making sure that all tools are maintained. A concrete finisher must show excellent time-management, as well as the ability to multi-task to perform duties within a fast-paced environment.

Concrete finishers typically earn lower pay than journeyman carpenters. On average, concrete finishers earn a $7,754 lower salary per year.According to resumes from journeyman carpenters and concrete finishers, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "hand tools," "safety rules," and "work ethic. "Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A journeyman carpenter uses "scaffolding," "scissor lifts," "clean environment," and "door frames." Concrete finishers are more likely to have duties that require skills in "sidewalks," "expansion joints," "asphalt," and "trowels. "The construction industry tends to pay the highest salaries for concrete finishers, with average annual pay of $42,634. Comparatively, the highest journeyman carpenter annual salary comes from the construction industry.concrete finishers reach similar levels of education compared to journeyman carpenters, in general. The difference is that they're 1.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of journeyman carpenter

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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