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Carpenters

Career, Salary and Education Information

What They Do: Carpenters construct, repair, and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials.

Work Environment: Carpenters work indoors and outdoors on many types of construction projects, from installing kitchen cabinets to building highways and bridges. Carpentry can be physically demanding, and injuries sometimes occur.

How to Become One: Carpenters typically learn on the job and through apprenticeships.

Salary: The median annual wage for carpenters is $48,260.

Job Outlook: Employment of carpenters is projected to grow 2 percent over the next ten years, slower than the average for all occupations.

Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of carpenters with similar occupations.

Following is everything you need to know about a career as a carpenter with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:

Top 3 Carpenter Jobs

  • Maintenance Technician - Academy of the Holy Names - Albany, NY

    The ideal candidate will have experience in grounds and building maintenance with skills in electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and carpentry . This is a full-time, year-round position for an applicant who ...

  • Outside Yard / Power Plant Laborer - $21.89/hr - LC Staffing - Columbia Falls, MT

    Occasionally will help with fire watch, filling in on production positions as needed, minor carpentry and painting and assist with outside clean-up Contact Twyla 406-542-3377, your career coach, and ...

  • Interior / Exterior Systems BIM Detailer - Falewitch Construction Services Inc. - Papillion, NE

    At Falewitch Construction Services / West Coast Prefab, we specialize in prefabricated CFMF interior and exterior panels, rough/finish carpentry work, metal stud framing, drywall, taping, acoustic ...

See all Carpenter jobs

What Carpenters Do[About this section] [To Top]

Carpenters construct, repair, and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials.

Duties of Carpenters

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 building frameworks, including walls, floors, and doorframes
  • Erect, level, and install building framework with the aid of rigging hardware and cranes
  • Inspect and replace damaged framework or other structures and fixtures
  • Instruct and direct laborers and other construction helpers

Carpenters are a versatile occupation in the construction industry, with workers usually doing many different tasks. For example, some carpenters insulate office buildings and others install drywall or kitchen cabinets in homes. Those who help construct tall buildings or bridges often install wooden concrete forms for cement footings or pillars and are commonly referred to as rough carpenters. Rough carpenters also erect shoring and scaffolding for buildings.

Carpenters use many different tools to cut and shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, or drywall. They commonly use hand tools, including squares, levels, and chisels, as well as many power tools, such as sanders, circular saws, nail guns, and welding machines.

Carpenters fasten materials together with nails, screws, staples, and adhesives, and check their work to ensure that it is precisely completed. They use tape measures on nearly every project to quickly measure distances. Many employers require applicants to supply their own tools.

The following are examples of types of carpenters:

Construction carpenters construct, install, and repair structures and fixtures of wood, plywood, and wallboard, using carpenter's hand tools 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.

Work Environment for Carpenters[About this section] [To Top]

Carpenters hold about 948,500 jobs. The largest employers of carpenters are as follows:

Self-employed workers 29%
Residential building construction 23%
Building finishing contractors 12%
Nonresidential building construction 12%
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors 10%

Carpenters work indoors and outdoors on many types of construction projects, from building highways and bridges to installing kitchen cabinets. Carpenters may work in cramped spaces. They frequently shift between lifting, standing, and kneeling, the result of which can be tiring. Those who work outdoors are subject to variable weather conditions, which may limit a carpenter's ability to work.

Injuries and Illnesses for Carpenters

Carpenters have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. The most common injuries include strains from lifting heavy materials, falls from ladders, and cuts from sharp objects and tools. Carpenters often wear safety equipment such as boots, hardhats, protective eyewear, and reflective vests to protect themselves from injuries.

Carpenter Work Schedules

Most carpenters work full time, which may include working evenings and weekends. Extreme temperatures or inclement weather can adversely impact building construction timelines, in which case carpenters' work hours may be affected.

How to Become a Carpenter[About this section] [To Top]

Get the education you need: Find schools for Carpenters near you!

Carpenters typically learn on the job and through apprenticeships.

Education for Carpenters

A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required. High school courses in mathematics, mechanical drawing, and general vocational technical training are considered useful. Some technical schools offer associate's degrees in carpentry. The programs vary in length and teach basics and specialties in carpentry.

Carpenter Training

Carpenters typically learn on the job and through apprenticeships and learn the proper use of hand and power tools on the job. They often begin doing simpler tasks under the guidance of experienced carpenters. For example, they start with measuring and cutting wood, and learn to do more complex tasks, such as reading blueprints and building wooden structures.

Several groups, such as unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs. For each year of a typical program, apprentices must complete 144 hours of technical training and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. Apprentices learn carpentry basics, blueprint reading, mathematics, building code requirements, and safety and first aid practices. They also may receive specialized training in creating and setting concrete forms, rigging, welding, scaffold building, and working within confined workspaces. All carpenters must pass the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10- and 30-hour safety courses.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation for Carpenters

Some carpenters work as construction laborers or helpers before becoming carpenters. They learn to become carpenters while working under the guidance of an experienced carpenter. Laborers and helpers learn tasks that are similar to those performed by carpenters.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Carpenters

Many carpenters need a driver's license or reliable transportation, since their work is done on jobsites.

Carpenters do not need certification for the job. However, there are certificate programs that teach basics for carpenters interested in completing an apprenticeship, such as the Pre-Apprenticeship Certificate Training (PACT) offered by the Home Builders Institute. Other programs offer certifications by specialty. For example, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers various levels of certificates for remodeling.

Advancement for Carpenters

Carpenters are involved in many phases of construction and may have opportunities to become first-line supervisors, independent contractors, or general construction supervisors.

Important Qualities for Carpenters

Business skills. Self-employed carpenters must bid on new jobs, track inventory, and plan work assignments.

Detail oriented. Carpenters make precise cuts, measurements, and modifications. For example, properly installing windows and frames provides greater insulation to buildings.

Dexterity. Carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination to avoid injury or damaging materials. For example, incorrectly striking a nail with a hammer may cause damage to the nail, wood, or oneself.

Math skills. Carpenters frequently use basic math skills to calculate area, precisely cut material, and determine the amount of material needed to complete the job.

Physical strength. Carpenters use heavy tools and materials that can weigh up to 100 pounds. Carpenters also need physical endurance; they frequently stand, climb, or bend for many hours.

Problem-solving skills. Carpenters may need to modify building material and make adjustments onsite to complete projects. For example, if a prefabricated window that is oversized arrives at the worksite, carpenters shave the framework to make the window fit.

Carpenter Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]

The median annual wage for carpenters is $48,260. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,880, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $80,940.

The median annual wages for carpenters in the top industries in which they work are as follows:

Nonresidential building construction $59,020
Building finishing contractors $48,800
Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors $48,080
Residential building construction $47,820

The starting pay for apprentices is less than what fully trained carpenters make. As apprentices gain experience, they receive more pay.

Most carpenters work full time, which may include working evenings and weekends. Extreme temperatures or inclement weather can adversely impact building construction, in which case carpenters' hours may be affected.

Job Outlook for Carpenters[About this section] [To Top]

Employment of carpenters is projected to grow 2 percent over the next ten years, slower than the average for all occupations.

Despite limited employment growth, about 91,200 openings for carpenters are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment of Carpenters

Population growth should result in more new-home construction—one of the largest segments employing carpenters—which will create some jobs for carpenters. Construction of factories and power plants is also expected to result in some new jobs over the decade.

However, the popularity of modular and prefabricated components and homes reduces the need for carpenters to build and install them onsite. Roofs, bathrooms, windows, and buildings can be manufactured in a separate facility and then assembled onsite.

Employment projections data for Carpenters, 2021-31
Occupational Title Employment, 2021 Projected Employment, 2031 Change, 2021-31
Percent Numeric
Carpenters 948,500 969,000 2 20,500


A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.


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