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How Much Does a Carpenter Helper Make?

A carpenter helper in the US earns a median salary of $43,780 a year, or $21.05 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $44,050, and the middle half earn between $36,730 and $49,400.

Median a year $43,780
Median an hour $21.05
Median a month $3,648
Average a year $44,050

Carpenter helper pay range

What carpenter helpers 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%) $31,660 $15.22
25th $36,730 $17.66
Median (50th) $43,780 $21.05
75th $49,400 $23.75
90th (top 10%) $57,670 $27.73

The median is 14% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 21,680 people work as carpenter helpers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$842
Every two weeks
$1,684
Twice a month
$1,824
A month
$3,648

At the median salary, before tax.

Carpenter helper salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays carpenter helpers the most, at $54,530 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $54,530 $49,890 2,670 After tax
New Hampshire $53,340 $58,090 – After tax
Connecticut $51,390 $50,460 200 After tax
Rhode Island $51,160 $50,300 – After tax
Washington $50,800 $46,060 620 After tax
Colorado $48,970 $50,900 200 After tax
Arkansas $48,940 $46,800 100 After tax
Maine $48,560 $50,100 160 After tax
New York $48,050 $47,740 1,110 After tax
Massachusetts $46,910 $48,130 630 After tax
Vermont $46,680 $44,550 200 After tax
Oregon $45,390 $43,260 220 After tax
Illinois $45,340 $45,660 – After tax
Hawaii $45,280 $44,550 – After tax
Montana $45,240 $42,670 – After tax
New Jersey $44,100 $44,040 840 After tax
Virginia $43,980 $43,730 1,200 After tax
Michigan $43,730 $44,960 230 After tax
Pennsylvania $43,180 $43,880 560 After tax
Ohio $42,740 $44,760 540 After tax
Indiana $42,720 $42,940 160 After tax
Tennessee $42,670 $39,790 440 After tax
Texas $42,120 $43,950 2,270 After tax
Maryland $41,790 $39,470 580 After tax
Florida $41,750 $40,220 2,120 After tax
Alaska $41,720 $39,210 90 After tax
Arizona $41,440 $41,540 – After tax
Iowa $41,360 $39,830 100 After tax
Idaho $41,060 $41,820 – After tax
North Carolina $40,420 $40,540 650 After tax
Wisconsin $40,340 $39,480 150 After tax
New Mexico $40,120 $37,100 50 After tax
Louisiana $39,860 $40,900 860 After tax
Kansas $39,830 $38,130 80 After tax
Nebraska $39,720 $39,670 50 After tax
Alabama $39,370 $38,930 410 After tax
Georgia $39,280 $40,160 410 After tax
Oklahoma $36,980 $38,080 150 After tax
Nevada $36,780 $36,230 540 After tax
Kentucky $36,570 $35,520 – After tax
Delaware $36,460 $33,920 190 After tax
West Virginia $36,150 $33,760 320 After tax
Missouri $36,040 $32,420 50 After tax
South Carolina $35,610 $36,090 200 After tax
South Dakota $35,600 $34,700 330 After tax
Utah $34,740 $35,820 330 After tax
Mississippi $34,660 $35,360 140 After tax
Puerto Rico $26,390 $24,530 1,410

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 “Helpers--Carpenters” (SOC 47-3012). 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 helper make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a carpenter helper is $21.05, and the average is $21.18. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $15.22 an hour and the top 10% over $27.73.

How much does a carpenter helper make a month?

At the median salary of $43,780, a carpenter helper earns about $3,648 a month before tax, or $1,684 every two weeks.

Which state pays carpenter helpers the most?

California has the highest average pay for a carpenter helper, at $54,530 a year. Next are New Hampshire and Connecticut. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a carpenter helper?

The lowest-paid 10% of carpenter helpers earn less than $31,660 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $36,730. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid carpenter helpers make?

The top 10% earn more than $57,670 a year, and the top 25% more than $49,400.