Post job

What is a maintenance carpenter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Maintenance Carpenters are skilled tradespeople who carry out general maintenance. This entails refurbishments, fit-out, repairs to building facades, painting, patching, replacing doors, and related ad-hoc maintenance duties.

These carpenters stand and kneel for long periods, and it is possible to be injured on the job. Most maintenance carpenters work indoors, but those working outdoors sometimes work in harsh weather. You usually work 40 hour weeks but work long hours may await you during periods of great demand.

Generally speaking, your salary would actually be around $52.739 a year or about $25 an hour if you're a repair carpenter. However, you can do even better if you have your own carpentry store.

ScoreMaintenance CarpenterUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $44,673

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.6

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.18%

Asian 4.60%

Black or African American 11.30%

Hispanic or Latino 17.62%

Unknown 4.26%

White 61.03%

Gender

female 2.70%

male 97.30%

Age - 49
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49
Stress level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance
6.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Maintenance carpenter career paths

Key steps to become a maintenance carpenter

  1. Explore maintenance carpenter education requirements

    Most common maintenance carpenter degrees

    High School Diploma

    54.0 %

    Associate

    18.9 %

    Bachelor's

    13.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific maintenance carpenter skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Hand Tools13.53%
    Ladders10.50%
    Plumbing10.27%
    Scaffolding6.57%
    Sheetrock4.96%
  3. Complete relevant maintenance carpenter training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New maintenance 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 maintenance carpenter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real maintenance carpenter resumes.
  4. Research maintenance carpenter duties and responsibilities

    • Apprentice in plant HVAC group.
    • Trouble shooting HVAC and electrical problems.
    • Repair plumbing, flooring, windows, doors, lighting, install tile, locksmith, build furniture, & cabinets.
    • Repair or replace broken plumbing and/or electrical components.
  5. Prepare your maintenance carpenter resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your maintenance 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 maintenance 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 maintenance carpenter resume templates

    Build a professional maintenance 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 maintenance carpenter resume.
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
    Maintenance Carpenter Resume
  6. Apply for maintenance carpenter jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a maintenance carpenter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first maintenance carpenter job

Zippi

Are you a maintenance carpenter?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average maintenance carpenter salary

The average maintenance carpenter salary in the United States is $44,673 per year or $21 per hour. Maintenance carpenter salaries range between $33,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average maintenance carpenter salary
$44,673 Yearly
$21.48 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do maintenance carpenters rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Maintenance carpenter reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Seeing the finished product

Cons

I am a master carpenter. It’s hard sometimes waiting on materials to finish a job


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Livable wage

Cons

Travel expenses, working away from home, working in bad conditions


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

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..

Cons

Rainy days, lazy Co workers,


Working as a maintenance carpenter? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

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.

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs