Carpenters

OverviewSalaryAboutEducationWhere are the jobsEmploymentGenderRace/Origin

Overview

Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.

Explore Pathways

Titles for this career often contain these words

SOURCES:

2018 SOC codes

2020 CareerOneStop

25.2 O*NET

Fewer details

Responsibilities and activities

Carpenters typically do the following:

Follow blueprints and building plans to meet the needs of clients
Install structures and fixtures, such as windows and molding
Measure, cut, and shape wood, plastic, and other materials
Construct and install building frameworks, including walls, floors, and doorframes
Inspect and replace damaged framework or other structures and fixtures
Instruct and direct laborers and other construction helpers

Carpenters have many different tasks. Some carpenters insulate office buildings; others install drywall or kitchen cabinets in homes. Still others focus on production or commercial work to help construct tall buildings or bridges, installing wooden concrete forms for cement footings or pillars. These carpenters also erect shoring and scaffolding for buildings.

Carpenters use many different tools to cut and shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, or drywall. They use handtools, including squares, levels, and chisels, as well as many power tools, such as sanders, circular saws, nail guns, and welding machines. On large projects, carpenters may use rigging hardware and cranes as part of the installation process. Carpenters may also use smart phones, tablets, and other personal electronic devices to assist with planning, drafting, or other calculations.

Carpenters fasten materials with nails, screws, staples, and adhesives and check their work to ensure that it is correct. They use tape measures or laser measures on nearly every project to quickly determine distances. Many employers require carpenters to supply their own tools on the job.

The following are examples of types of carpenters:

Construction carpenters construct, install, and repair structures and fixtures of wood, plywood, and wallboard, using carpenters’ handtools and power tools.

Rough carpenters build rough wooden structures, such as concrete forms; scaffolds; tunnel, bridge, or sewer supports; and temporary frame shelters, according to sketches, blueprints, or oral instructions.

Wood flooring installers put in a variety of materials, including plank, strip, end-grain, and parquet flooring. These wood products may be nailed in place or glued down. Floor sanders and finishers may smooth the flooring onsite or it may be prefinished prior to installation.

SOURCES:

2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Salary

Median salary: $49,520 annually

Half of those employed in this career earn between $38,240 and $64,480.

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

Context: Median Salary

How do salaries for this career compare to other jobs' salaries?

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

Fewer details

Salary growth for carpenters

Is this job likely to reward you for sticking with it through pay raises and promotions? The higher a job’s “experience quotient,” the more you are likely to get as you stay there.

Experience quotient percentile

Take a minute to look at how much you might expect your salary to increase with each five years' experience, as well as how the numbers working at each age change. Does this seem to be a job for the young or the old, or could it be a career offering steady salary growth for many years?

Salary distribution

Number employed

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

About Carpenters

How do benefits for this career compare to other jobs? The availability of health care, especially employer provided health care, and pension plans can add significantly to the value of compensation you receive in a career. These charts compare how this career compares to other careers with regard to health care and pension plans.

Employee has health insurance

Employer is providing health insurance

Employer-provided pension plan is available

SOURCES:

2018-2020 CPS

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Personality and skills

Can you see yourself in the ranks of Carpenters? Here are the skills and traits that could lead to success.

Business skills

Self-employed carpenters must conduct activities such as bidding on new jobs, tracking inventory, and directing workers.

Detail oriented

Carpenters must be able to precisely cut, measure, and modify the materials they work with.

Dexterity

Carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination to avoid injuring themselves or damaging materials.

Interpersonal skills

Carpenters need to work as a member of a team, cooperating with and assisting others. They also may interact with customers. 

Math skills

Carpenters frequently use math skills, including basic trigonometry, to calculate the area, size, and amount of material needed for the job. 

Physical strength

Carpenters use heavy tools and materials that weigh up to 100 pounds. They also must be able to stand, climb, or bend for many hours.

Problem-solving skills

Carpenters may work independently with little guidance. They need to be able to modify building materials and make adjustments onsite to complete projects.

Reading comprehension skills

Carpenters need advanced reading ability to understand and follow complex instructions for installing certain products, such as doors.

SOURCES:

2020 Occupational Outlook Handbook

Injury and Illness

About 189 carpenters become injured or ill for every 10,000 workers, making this job more dangerous than 92% of other careers. The most common specific illnesses or injuries are detailed following.

Fractures

Amputations

Chemical burns and corrosions

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities

Education pathways to this career

Education attained by carpenters

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), carpenters typically hold a high school diploma or equivalent.

Sometimes the typical education identified by the BLS differs a bit from the reality of the how much education current workers actually have. The donut shows the education level held by people currently working as carpenters as reported in responses to the American Community Survey.

Details: Education and training recommended for carpenters

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required to enter the occupation. Certain high school courses, such as mathematics and mechanical drawing, may be useful. Some vocational-technical schools offer associate’s degrees in carpentry. The programs vary in length and teach basics and specialties in carpentry.

Details: Licensing and certification recommended for carpenters

Carpenters may need a driver’s license to travel to jobsites.

Optional programs offer certification by specialty that may allow carpenters to find additional work opportunities or lead to career advancement. For example, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers various levels of certification for remodeling. The National Wood Flooring Association offers certification for installers, craftsman, and master craftsman.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Education level of Carpenters

Only 6% of carpenters have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Education attained by carpenters

None

High School

Some College

Associate's Degree

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Professional Degree

Doctorate

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Award levels

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Programs recommended by the Department of Education

The Department of Education recommends the following college degree programs as preparation for this career. You can click the program row to learn more about the program and explore a list of schools that offer the program.

Carpentry

4,066

SOURCES:

2010 CIP Codes

Where are the jobs

State-by-state employment numbers

Some careers tend to be centered in specific parts of the country. For example, most jobs in fashion are in New York or California. Let's see if your dream job is easy to find in your dream location! We have a few choices for viewing the data that can help you get a full employment picture.

Select a state to see local area details

Number of Carpenters per 1,000 workers (ACS)

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Job density versus job count

Which states hire the most carpenters? We wonder if that's a fair question since states come in all sizes, so instead let's start with the question of which states have the highest density of people working as carpenters. You can choose to view the number of jobs per state if you prefer.

Salaries by state

Let's get a feel for where carpenters earn the highest salaries. There are several choices for which data we consider and how we view that data, and each can lead to different conclusions, so please read on...

Median salary versus state ratio

We use two methods to compare salaries across states:

In-state comparisons: the ratio of median (middle) salaries for carpenters compared to the median salary for all people working in each state, or
Median salary: the unaltered median salaries for carpenters.

We hope the ratio allows perspective about how salaries may compare to the regional cost-of-living.

The darkest shading corresponds to states in which carpenters earn the highest salary when compared to other jobs in the state. We think this figure might be a better indicator than the actual salary for your buying power as a state resident.

Select a state to see local area details

Location-adjusted median salary for Carpenters (ACS)

SOURCES:

2019 BLS Occupational Employment

2019 BEA Regional Price Parities

Employment

12% of Carpenters are working part time.

We’ve found that some jobs have a huge number of part-time workers, and typically that is because they are unable to find full-time work or the job itself can’t provide full-time hours. With 12% part-time workers, this occupation has a higher percentage of part-time workers than 48% of careers.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Employer types

This donut shares the break-down of workers by employer type, giving us a picture of what employers most typically hire for this career.

Employers of undefined (ACS)

Private for-profit

Private not-for-profit

Local government

State government

Federal government

Self-employed incorporated

Self-employed not incorporated

Working without pay

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Comparing employment

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Distribution: Salaries of carpenters by type of employer

Here are the salary distributions based on employer type.

SOURCES:

2021 Ididio: Comparing employment

2019 ACS microdata

Gender

Carpenters and gender

With 2% women, this occupation has a lower percentage of women than 94% of careers.

Gender of Carpenters

Men (98%)

Women (2%)

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Distribution: salaries by gender

Does gender greatly influence your salary in this career? The closer the bars are, the less discrepancy there is.

We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Fewer details

Context: Women in the workforce

How does this career compare to other careers with regard to the percentage of women in the career.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Context: Salary inequity

The median (middle) salary for all full-time male workers in the US exceeds the full-time median salary for women by 19%, and the difference for carpenters tops that, with the median salary for men 21% higher than the median salary for women.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Race/Origin

Race and origin of Carpenters

This donut shows the distribution of race and origin among those employed as Carpenters.

Race/origin of carpenters

White (78% )

Other (12% )

Black (5% )

Multiracial (2% )

Hispanic (2% )

Asian (1% )

American Indian (1% )

Pacific Islander (0% )

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata

Distribution: salaries by race/origin

Some careers might have a pay disparity based on race or origin, the closer the below bars are the less of a discrepancy is present.

We only include salary data when the survey error is less than 20%, so you may see only partial information for some categories.

SOURCES:

2019 ACS microdata