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What is a lead carpenter and how to become one
Lead carpenters are responsible for supervising field carpenters and making sure all wooden constructions are carried out appropriately. As a lead carpenter, you will manage all wooden constructions by communicating with clients and understanding what they want. You will also estimate the cost of the construction and how long it will take. Also, you will assign tasks to the field carpenters and make sure they understand the task they want to carry out, and provide all the construction material needed. You will also assist the field carpenters with tedious carpentry work.
You should have leadership skills, communication skills, time-management skills, the ability to read blue-print, and the ability to safely use tools. You should also be detail-oriented and also possess business skills. Most lead carpenters have a high school diploma degree; however, experience on the job is more important. You will earn an average of $46,743 per year as a lead carpenter.
Avg. Salary $49,228
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 2%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.12%
Asian 1.62%
Black or African American 7.44%
Hispanic or Latino 23.18%
Unknown 4.68%
White 61.96%
Genderfemale 2.38%
male 97.62%
Age - 41American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 41Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Lead carpenter career paths
Key steps to become a lead carpenter
Explore lead carpenter education requirements
Start to develop specific lead carpenter skills
Skills Percentages Safety Rules 11.79% Roofing 10.82% Plumbing 9.57% Door Installation 6.14% Drywall Installation 5.32% Complete relevant lead carpenter training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead carpenters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead carpenter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead carpenter resumes.Research lead carpenter duties and responsibilities
- Manage complete renovations and new construction of banks for commercial construction company.
- Erect scaffolding, pump jacks, ladder jacks and ladders for assembling structures over head height.
- Erect scaffolding for buildings and ship structures and installs ladders, handrails, walkways, platforms and gangways.
- Remodel, framing, fire/flood restoration, demo and build back and new construction builds, install Sheetrock, special projects.
Get lead carpenter experience
Generally, it takes 6-12 months to become a lead carpenter. The most common roles before becoming a lead carpenter include carpenter, owner team lead and foreman.Prepare your lead carpenter resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead carpenter resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead carpenter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable lead carpenter resume templates
Build a professional lead carpenter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lead carpenter resume.
Apply for lead carpenter jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a lead carpenter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first lead carpenter job
Are you a lead carpenter?
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Average lead carpenter salary
The average lead carpenter salary in the United States is $49,228 per year or $24 per hour. Lead carpenter salaries range between $36,000 and $65,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do lead carpenters rate their job?
Lead carpenter reviews
Seeing the finished product
I am a master carpenter. It’s hard sometimes waiting on materials to finish a job
Livable wage
Travel expenses, working away from home, working in bad conditions
I enjoy building things with wood. The gratification of seeing things come together from bottom, to top, when building. From top to bottom when taking down. All the way from pouring the slab, to hanging pictures on the painted walls..
Rainy days, lazy Co workers,
Updated January 8, 2025
