Post job

Lead carpenter salary

Average lead carpenter salary

$49,228

$23.67 hourly rate

Entry-level lead carpenter salary
$36,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Average Lead Carpenter Salary

The salary for a Lead Carpenter varies widely based on several factors, including experience, geographic location, and industry specialization. Currently, the average salary is approximately $49,228 per year. Entry-level positions typically start lower, while experienced professionals can earn significantly more, particularly in areas with higher demand for skilled labor.

Factors Influencing Salary

Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary. Newer carpenters may earn around $38,000, while those with over ten years of experience can see salaries exceeding $60,000. Additionally, regions like California and New York often offer higher wages due to the cost of living and demand for quality craftsmanship.

Job Opportunities

Lead Carpenters are essential in various sectors, including residential construction, commercial projects, and renovation services. Job seekers can find numerous openings across job boards, with many companies actively seeking skilled professionals. For those interested in advancing their careers, exploring certifications and specialized training can lead to better job prospects and higher salaries.

On this page
Lead carpenter salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next lead carpenter job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next lead carpenter job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can a Lead Carpenter earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
91k
71k
51k
31k
11k
Columbus, OH$65,799
Muskegon, MI$40,782
Compare salary by company
Vs
77k
57k
37k
17k
Brasfield & Gorrie$59,503
CNY Outsourcing$46,623

Lead carpenter salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level lead carpenter$29,900$14.39
Mid-level lead carpenter$46,600$22.38
Senior-level lead carpenter$60,500$29.10

Lead carpenter salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed and Comparably, the average salary for a lead carpenter typically falls between $49,228 and $79,073.
zippia
$49,228yearly
indeed[1]
$58,707yearly
comparably[2]
$79,073yearly
Salary.com[3]
$63,516yearly

Average lead carpenter salary by state

The average lead carpenter salary in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead carpenter salary states are New Mexico, Idaho, and Alabama.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for lead carpenters

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Vermont$53,950$25.94
2New Hampshire$52,728$25.35
3Nevada$49,293$23.70
4Washington$57,045$27.43
5Massachusetts$65,105$31.30
6California$64,815$31.16
7Wyoming$47,615$22.89
8Rhode Island$55,112$26.50
9Indiana$51,455$24.74
10Connecticut$57,066$27.44
11Alaska$47,833$23.00
12Minnesota$49,974$24.03
13Pennsylvania$52,109$25.05
14Oregon$49,318$23.71
15New York$54,728$26.31
16District of Columbia$56,966$27.39
17Delaware$50,639$24.35
18North Dakota$43,924$21.12
19New Jersey$53,494$25.72
20Virginia$48,954$23.54
21Arkansas$42,478$20.42
22Ohio$45,901$22.07
23Hawaii$51,221$24.63
24Colorado$48,100$23.13
25Wisconsin$43,517$20.92
26Iowa$42,244$20.31
27Utah$43,282$20.81
28Michigan$41,627$20.01
29Kentucky$43,442$20.89
30Missouri$45,763$22.00
31Arizona$43,213$20.78
32Maine$42,253$20.31
33Montana$40,516$19.48
34Kansas$40,539$19.49
35Maryland$47,991$23.07
36South Dakota$39,370$18.93
37Louisiana$42,018$20.20
38South Carolina$40,999$19.71
39Florida$41,277$19.84
40Tennessee$39,147$18.82
41North Carolina$39,931$19.20
42Georgia$40,734$19.58
43Idaho$36,613$17.60
44Illinois$42,254$20.31
45New Mexico$37,463$18.01
46Texas$40,678$19.56
47Mississippi$40,072$19.27
48Oklahoma$35,982$17.30
49Nebraska$35,543$17.09
50Alabama$36,256$17.43
51West Virginia$35,792$17.21

Highest paying cities for lead carpenters

The highest-paying cities for lead carpenters are San Jose, CA, Franklin Town, MA, and Lakewood, WA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1San Jose, CA$65,799$31.63
2Franklin Town, MA$65,381$31.43
3Lakewood, WA$57,504$27.65
4Warwick, RI$55,168$26.52
5Syracuse, NY$53,553$25.75
6Lancaster, PA$51,819$24.91
7Carmel, IN$51,367$24.70
8Minneapolis, MN$49,966$24.02
9Eugene, OR$49,702$23.90
10Winchester, VA$49,381$23.74
11Englewood, CO$48,119$23.13
12Kirkwood, MO$45,877$22.06
13Columbus, OH$45,597$21.92
14American Fork, UT$43,205$20.77
15Palatine, IL$42,361$20.37
16Tampa, FL$41,406$19.91
17Columbia, SC$41,075$19.75
18Savannah, GA$40,895$19.66
19Austin, TX$40,854$19.64
20Muskegon, MI$40,782$19.61

Lead carpenter salary details

A lead carpenter's salary ranges from $36,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $65,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average lead carpenter salary graph
Average lead carpenter salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a lead carpenter's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$65,000$5,417$31
75th Percentile$57,000$4,750$27
Average$49,228$4,102$24
25th Percentile$42,000$3,500$20
10th Percentile$36,000$3,000$17

Highest paying lead carpenter jobs

The highest paying types of lead carpenters are construction supervisor, lead installer, and carpenter foreman.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Construction Foreman$57,121$4,760$27.4640,621
Construction Supervisor$62,881$5,240$30.2332,487
Journeyman$57,682$4,807$27.7313,953
Concrete Finisher$40,674$3,389$19.5515,309
General Foreman$48,517$4,043$23.3349,875
Construction Inspector$52,306$4,359$25.1542,007

Which companies pay lead carpenters the most?

Lead carpenter salaries at Brasfield & Gorrie and Mt. San Antonio College are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead carpenter salary at companies like General Contracting Services and Archbold Medical Center are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Brasfield & Gorrie$59,503$28.61
2Mt. San Antonio College$58,369$28.06
3General Contracting Services$53,733$25.83
4Archbold Medical Center$53,049$25.50
5Washington State University$51,445$24.73
6White Plains Hospital$51,271$24.65
7San Jose State University$49,891$23.99
8Eagle Electric$49,607$23.85
9GPAC$49,294$23.70
10Outdoor Living Brands$48,580$23.36
11Aerotek$47,925$23.04
12Paul Davis USA$47,667$22.92
13The High Companies$47,563$22.87
14PeopleReady$47,544$22.86
15Sunbelt Rentals$47,441$22.81
16Express Employment Indy South$47,187$22.69
17ATI - Allegheny Technologies Incorporated$47,168$22.68
18Tradesmen International$46,948$22.57
19ServiceMaster Restore$46,872$22.53
20CNY Outsourcing$46,623$22.41

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$51,000$50,800$50,600$50,400$50,200$50,000
MaleFemale

Lead Carpenter salary by industry

The average lead carpenter salary varies across industries:

  • The average lead carpenter salary in the construction industry is $53,642, the highest of any industry.
  • The average lead carpenter salary in the finance industry is $46,605.
  • Lead carpenters in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $43,881, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for lead carpenters

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Construction$53,642$25.79
2Professional$46,605$22.41
3Retail$46,525$22.37
4Energy$46,243$22.23
5Government$45,736$21.99
6Manufacturing$43,881$21.10

High paying lead carpenter jobs

Lead carpenter salary trends

The average lead carpenter salary has risen by $9,454 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead carpenter earned $39,774 annually, but today, they earn $49,228 a year. That works out to a 14% change in pay for lead carpenters over the last decade.

Compare lead carpenter salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average lead carpenter salary over time

Compare lead carpenter salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Lead carpenter salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$49,200$23.67+2.4%
2025$48,000$23.10+3.6%
2024$46,300$22.27+3.0%
2023$44,900$21.59+3.5%
2022$43,300$20.84+3.5%

Recently added lead carpenter salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Curry CollegeLead Carpenter-Curry CollegeMilton, MA06/27/2025$70,645
AerotekLead CarpenterMiddleton, WI06/24/2025$62,400
City Theatre CompanyLead CarpenterPittsburgh, PA06/23/2025$41,740
AerotekLead CarpenterProspect Park, PA06/21/2025$52,175
AerotekLead Carpenter Start AsapJacksonville, FL06/20/2025$50,088
Thomas Buckborough & AssociatesLead CarpenterBoston, MA06/20/2025$73,045
Bath Saver Dba Bath FitterLead Carpenter/InstallerAkron, OH06/19/2025$85,000
PeoplereadyLead CarpenterDalton, GA06/18/2025$52,175
Bax HomeworksLead Carpenter-Construction/RemodelerJefferson City, MO06/18/2025$48,001
PetesconstructionllcLead CarpenterSalem, NH06/17/2025$73,045

Lead carpenter salary FAQs

Search for lead carpenter jobs

Browse construction and extraction jobs