How Much Do Carpenters Make an Hour? Carpenter Pay Calculator
BLS carpenter pay in every state, commercial vs residential pay, what weather weeks cost and take-home after 2026 tax
By the Monthly Income Booster editorial team · Updated · How we research and fact-check
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How Much Do Carpenters Make an Hour? Carpenter Pay Calculator
Printed 2026-10-27 from billorganizingapp.com/income/calculators/carpenter-hourly-pay/ — an estimate for planning, not financial or tax advice.
United States carpenters: median $29.12/hr, 10th–90th percentile $19.43–$48.03 (BLS OEWS May 2025). Your rate is in the between the median and the 75th percentile.
Estimate for 2026: federal income tax (standard deduction), Social Security and Medicare, a flat state rate you enter, and the overtime deduction on the half-time premium when your overtime is legally required. No credits or itemised deductions. Starting wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, which excludes overtime and shift differentials.
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Carpenters earned a median of $29.12 an hour in May 2025 — $60,580 a year for 52 full weeks — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 670,090 on employers' payrolls, one of the biggest trades. An apprentice near the bottom tenth earns under $19.43; the top tenth earn over $48.03. Overtime, weather days and self-employment all fall outside these figures.
Carpenters: pay at every level
This is the BLS line for carpenters (SOC 47-2031) on employers' payrolls. Self-employed carpenters — 25% of the occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook) — aren't in these figures, which matters if you're comparing a job with running your own crew. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.43 | $40,410 | $3,368 | $34,649 |
| 25th percentile | $23.32 | $48,510 | $4,043 | $41,158 |
| Median | $29.12 | $60,580 | $5,048 | $50,856 |
| 75th percentile | $36.94 | $76,830 | $6,403 | $62,880 |
| 90th percentile | $48.03 | $99,910 | $8,326 | $79,117 |
Carpenter pay by state
Hawaii pays carpenters the most at $41.00 an hour, then Illinois ($37.98) and California ($36.50), which employs 100,750 carpenters, more than twice any other state. Oklahoma ($22.55) and Arkansas ($22.96) pay least. Florida and Texas, the next-largest markets after New York, pay $23.98 and $23.51, both well below the national median.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $41.00 | $85,280 | 4,810 |
| Illinois | $37.98 | $79,000 | 19,570 |
| California | $36.50 | $75,920 | 100,750 |
| Massachusetts | $36.16 | $75,200 | 18,540 |
| Washington | $35.67 | $74,190 | 26,960 |
| Alaska | $35.51 | $73,860 | 2,560 |
| New York | $34.77 | $72,330 | 40,630 |
| Minnesota | $31.22 | $64,930 | 14,930 |
| Connecticut | $30.80 | $64,060 | 5,160 |
| New Jersey | $30.77 | $64,010 | 14,230 |
| Maryland | $30.27 | $62,960 | 9,770 |
| Indiana | $30.23 | $62,870 | 15,240 |
| Oregon | $30.23 | $62,870 | 15,110 |
| Colorado | $30.21 | $62,830 | 12,740 |
| Vermont | $30.00 | $62,400 | 3,080 |
| Nevada | $29.99 | $62,380 | 12,700 |
| Maine | $29.88 | $62,160 | 5,170 |
| District of Columbia | $29.67 | $61,710 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $29.66 | $61,680 | 18,590 |
| Wisconsin | $29.65 | $61,660 | 13,880 |
| New Hampshire | $29.42 | $61,200 | 3,760 |
| Missouri | $29.25 | $60,840 | 14,410 |
| Rhode Island | $29.25 | $60,840 | 2,580 |
| Ohio | $29.24 | $60,810 | 18,450 |
| New Mexico | $28.71 | $59,720 | 3,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $28.54 | $59,370 | 30,630 |
| Delaware | $28.46 | $59,200 | 2,250 |
| Montana | $28.28 | $58,820 | 4,030 |
| Arizona | $28.17 | $58,580 | 16,230 |
| North Dakota | $27.83 | $57,890 | 2,360 |
| Iowa | $27.75 | $57,710 | 5,770 |
| Kansas | $27.39 | $56,960 | 5,210 |
| Wyoming | $27.33 | $56,850 | 2,260 |
| Virginia | $26.77 | $55,690 | 20,460 |
| Kentucky | $25.33 | $52,680 | 8,540 |
| Utah | $25.17 | $52,360 | 15,220 |
| Idaho | $25.00 | $52,000 | 8,380 |
| Tennessee | $24.44 | $50,830 | 8,200 |
| South Carolina | $24.36 | $50,670 | 6,950 |
| Nebraska | $24.19 | $50,320 | 5,710 |
| Louisiana | $24.00 | $49,920 | 8,990 |
| Florida | $23.98 | $49,870 | 39,300 |
| Georgia | $23.72 | $49,350 | 9,190 |
| North Carolina | $23.61 | $49,100 | 13,480 |
| Texas | $23.51 | $48,900 | 33,540 |
| West Virginia | $23.42 | $48,710 | 3,670 |
| Mississippi | $23.39 | $48,650 | 2,950 |
| Alabama | $23.18 | $48,220 | 5,560 |
| South Dakota | $23.14 | $48,140 | 4,560 |
| Arkansas | $22.96 | $47,760 | 4,030 |
| Oklahoma | $22.55 | $46,910 | 3,820 |
Which employers pay carpenters most
Industry makes less difference than location: nonresidential building construction pays $63,780, building finishing contractors $60,880, residential building construction $60,600 and foundation and structure contractors $58,790 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Nonresidential building construction | $63,780 |
| Building finishing contractors | $60,880 |
| Residential building construction | $60,600 |
| Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors | $58,790 |
A carpenter's schedule
Most carpenters work full time, which may include evenings and weekends to meet clients' deadlines. They work indoors and out, from kitchen cabinets to highways and bridges, and extreme temperatures or bad weather can push back construction timelines and with them a carpenter's hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Falls, strains from lifting and contact with equipment are common injuries.
Overtime for carpenters
Carpentry is a skilled trade, which the learned-professional exemption doesn't cover (29 CFR 541.301), so employed carpenters are owed time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). The premium is counted week by week: a 50-hour week after a rained-out one still earns 10 hours of overtime.
What lost weeks cost carpenters
BLS annual pay assumes 52 paid weeks of 40 hours. Weather and gaps between jobs mean many carpenters don't get that. The table shows a year's straight-time pay at the BLS median and 75th percentile hourly wages if you work fewer weeks; the week counts are examples, not BLS data.
| Weeks worked | At the median | At the 75th percentile | Lost vs 52 weeks (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | $60,570 | $76,835 | $0 |
| 50 | $58,240 | $73,880 | $2,330 |
| 48 | $55,910 | $70,925 | $4,659 |
| 46 | $53,581 | $67,970 | $6,989 |
| 44 | $51,251 | $65,014 | $9,318 |
| 40 | $46,592 | $59,104 | $13,978 |
Training, licenses and pay
Carpenters typically need a high school diploma and learn on the job or through an apprenticeship sponsored by unions or contractor associations, with set hours of technical training and paid on-the-job training each year. All carpenters must pass the OSHA 10-hour safety course; some start as construction laborers or helpers, and optional specialty certifications can open more work. Apprentices start on less than fully trained carpenters and earn more as they gain experience (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
Related tools and guides
More ways to work with your carpenter pay:
Official sources
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS May 2025: Carpenters (47-2031) wage estimates
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Carpenters
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS FAQ: how wages are defined (overtime and shift differentials excluded)
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do carpenters make an hour?+
$29.12 an hour ($60,580 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $23.32 to $36.94 an hour.
Which state pays carpenters the most?+
Hawaii ($41.00 an hour, $85,280 a year), then Illinois and California; Oklahoma pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Do commercial carpenters make more than residential carpenters?+
A little. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, nonresidential building construction has the highest carpenter median and residential building construction is close behind building finishing contractors. Location moves pay much more: see the state table.
How much do apprentice carpenters make?+
BLS doesn't publish a separate apprentice wage. The OOH says apprentices start on less than fully trained carpenters and earn more as they gain experience; the 10th and 25th percentiles on this page are the closest official guide to starting pay.
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