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How Much Does a Carpenter Make?

A carpenter in the US earns a median salary of $60,580 a year, or $29.12 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $65,630, and the middle half earn between $48,510 and $76,830.

Median a year $60,580
Median an hour $29.12
Median a month $5,048
Average a year $65,630

Carpenter pay range

What carpenters earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $40,410 $19.43
25th $48,510 $23.32
Median (50th) $60,580 $29.12
75th $76,830 $36.94
90th (top 10%) $99,910 $48.03

The median is 19% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 670,090 people work as carpenters in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,165
Every two weeks
$2,330
Twice a month
$2,524
A month
$5,048

At the median salary, before tax.

Carpenter salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays carpenters the most, at $87,480 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Hawaii $87,480 $85,280 4,810 After tax
Alaska $80,460 $73,860 2,560 After tax
Illinois $80,320 $79,000 19,570 After tax
Massachusetts $79,680 $75,200 18,540 After tax
Washington $79,170 $74,190 26,960 After tax
California $78,810 $75,920 100,750 After tax
New York $75,970 $72,330 40,630 After tax
New Jersey $71,990 $64,010 14,230 After tax
Oregon $70,880 $62,870 15,110 After tax
Minnesota $70,320 $64,930 14,930 After tax
Nevada $69,250 $62,380 12,700 After tax
Maryland $69,040 $62,960 9,770 After tax
Connecticut $68,680 $64,060 5,160 After tax
Colorado $66,190 $62,830 12,740 After tax
District of Columbia $65,990 $61,710 1,540 After tax
Wisconsin $65,300 $61,660 13,880 After tax
Missouri $65,000 $60,840 14,410 After tax
Indiana $64,950 $62,870 15,240 After tax
Rhode Island $64,320 $60,840 2,580 After tax
New Hampshire $64,100 $61,200 3,760 After tax
Maine $63,300 $62,160 5,170 After tax
Pennsylvania $63,220 $59,370 30,630 After tax
Delaware $62,690 $59,200 2,250 After tax
Ohio $62,590 $60,810 18,450 After tax
Michigan $62,140 $61,680 18,590 After tax
Vermont $62,000 $62,400 3,080 After tax
Montana $59,640 $58,820 4,030 After tax
Kansas $59,460 $56,960 5,210 After tax
Wyoming $59,350 $56,850 2,260 After tax
Arizona $58,980 $58,580 16,230 After tax
North Dakota $57,980 $57,890 2,360 After tax
Iowa $57,640 $57,710 5,770 After tax
New Mexico $57,430 $59,720 3,630 After tax
Idaho $56,080 $52,000 8,380 After tax
Virginia $55,390 $55,690 20,460 After tax
Utah $55,360 $52,360 15,220 After tax
South Carolina $55,350 $50,670 6,950 After tax
Nebraska $54,960 $50,320 5,710 After tax
Kentucky $54,820 $52,680 8,540 After tax
Tennessee $53,990 $50,830 8,200 After tax
Virgin Islands $53,410 $51,730 270
Florida $52,560 $49,870 39,300 After tax
Louisiana $51,600 $49,920 8,990 After tax
Arkansas $51,350 $47,760 4,030 After tax
South Dakota $51,330 $48,140 4,560 After tax
Texas $50,990 $48,900 33,540 After tax
West Virginia $50,540 $48,710 3,670 After tax
North Carolina $50,510 $49,100 13,480 After tax
Georgia $50,290 $49,350 9,190 After tax
Oklahoma $49,610 $46,910 3,820 After tax
Alabama $49,490 $48,220 5,560 After tax
Mississippi $49,280 $48,650 2,950 After tax
Guam $39,730 $36,910 1,510
Puerto Rico $31,250 $30,530 3,180

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other construction and extraction jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Carpenters” (SOC 47-2031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a carpenter make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a carpenter is $29.12, and the average is $31.55. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $19.43 an hour and the top 10% over $48.03.

How much does a carpenter make a month?

At the median salary of $60,580, a carpenter earns about $5,048 a month before tax, or $2,330 every two weeks.

Which state pays carpenters the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for a carpenter, at $87,480 a year. Next are Alaska and Illinois. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a carpenter?

The lowest-paid 10% of carpenters earn less than $40,410 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $48,510. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid carpenters make?

The top 10% earn more than $99,910 a year, and the top 25% more than $76,830.