Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$40,410
- 25th Percentile — Junior$48,510
- 50th Percentile — Median$60,580
- 75th Percentile — Senior$76,830
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$99,910
The top 10% of Carpenters earn $99,910 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $40,410, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $87,480 | +33.3% |
| Alaska | $80,460 | +22.6% |
| Illinois | $80,320 | +22.4% |
| Massachusetts | $79,680 | +21.4% |
| Washington | $79,170 | +20.6% |
| California | $78,810 | +20.1% |
| New York | $75,970 | +15.8% |
| New Jersey | $71,990 | +9.7% |
| Oregon | $70,880 | +8.0% |
| Minnesota | $70,320 | +7.1% |
| Nevada | $69,250 | +5.5% |
| Maryland | $69,040 | +5.2% |
| Connecticut | $68,680 | +4.6% |
| Colorado | $66,190 | +0.9% |
| District of Columbia | $65,990 | +0.5% |
| Wisconsin | $65,300 | -0.5% |
| Missouri | $65,000 | -1.0% |
| Indiana | $64,950 | -1.0% |
| Rhode Island | $64,320 | -2.0% |
| New Hampshire | $64,100 | -2.3% |
| Maine | $63,300 | -3.6% |
| Pennsylvania | $63,220 | -3.7% |
| Delaware | $62,690 | -4.5% |
| Ohio | $62,590 | -4.6% |
| Michigan | $62,140 | -5.3% |
| Vermont | $62,000 | -5.5% |
| Montana | $59,640 | -9.1% |
| Kansas | $59,460 | -9.4% |
| Wyoming | $59,350 | -9.6% |
| Arizona | $58,980 | -10.1% |
| North Dakota | $57,980 | -11.7% |
| Iowa | $57,640 | -12.2% |
| New Mexico | $57,430 | -12.5% |
| Idaho | $56,080 | -14.6% |
| Virginia | $55,390 | -15.6% |
| Utah | $55,360 | -15.6% |
| South Carolina | $55,350 | -15.7% |
| Nebraska | $54,960 | -16.3% |
| Kentucky | $54,820 | -16.5% |
| Tennessee | $53,990 | -17.7% |
| Florida | $52,560 | -19.9% |
| Louisiana | $51,600 | -21.4% |
| Arkansas | $51,350 | -21.8% |
| South Dakota | $51,330 | -21.8% |
| Texas | $50,990 | -22.3% |
| West Virginia | $50,540 | -23.0% |
| North Carolina | $50,510 | -23.0% |
| Georgia | $50,290 | -23.4% |
| Oklahoma | $49,610 | -24.4% |
| Alabama | $49,490 | -24.6% |
| Mississippi | $49,280 | -24.9% |
What Factors Affect Carpenters Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Carpenters is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Hawaii pays an average of $87,480, while Mississippi pays $49,280 — a gap of $38,200 per year.
The middle half of Carpenters earn between $48,510 and $76,830 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $40,410, while the top 10% earn more than $99,910.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Electricians $71,490/yr United States +8.9% vs this role
- Plumbers Pipefitters and Steamfitters $72,170/yr United States +10.0% vs this role
- Construction Laborers $52,030/yr United States 20.7% vs this role
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades $86,450/yr United States +31.7% vs this role
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons $68,280/yr United States +4.0% vs this role
- Carpet Installers $56,990/yr United States 13.2% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +54.5% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +109.2% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Carpenters?
The average salary for Carpenters in the United States is $65,630 per year, with a median of $60,580.
What is the starting salary for Carpenters?
Entry-level Carpenters typically earn between $40,410 and $48,510 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Carpenters the most?
Hawaii pays Carpenters the most at $87,480 per year on average, followed by Alaska ($80,460) and Illinois ($80,320).
How much do Carpenters make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $65,630, Carpenters earn approximately $31.55 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Carpenters a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 670,090 Carpenters jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $65,630 and a median of $60,580 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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