Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Apprenticeship
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Carpenters work in a large, established occupation, with national employment of 959,000 and a projected growth rate of 4.5%. This combination points to a field that offers both scale and ongoing demand. The national median annual salary of $59,310 provides a solid earnings base, with opportunities for higher pay in certain states and metro areas. Carpenters rely on a mix of physical strength and stamina, fine motor abilities, and strong attention to detail, paired with mathematics, mechanical skills, and problem-solving. Project management and leadership skills can support advancement into more complex or supervisory roles. Creativity and innovation, along with critical and analytical thinking, add to the appeal for people who like building and improving tangible structures. With 74,000 annual openings projected, this career offers consistent entry points for new workers as well as room for experienced professionals to move between locations and specialties within the trade.
Carpenters earn a national median annual salary of $59,310, with higher typical pay reported in several states and metro areas. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $62,830 in Colorado to $75,920 in California, with Massachusetts, New York, and Washington also above the national median. At the metro level, pay differences are even more pronounced. The San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro reports a median salary of $89,200, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ show median salaries of $80,190 and $74,300, respectively. Other leading metros, including Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, offer median salaries between about $60,800 and $75,210. These variations suggest that location choice can significantly influence earning potential for carpenters over the course of a career.
Carpenters benefit from a sizable national employment base of 959,000 jobs combined with a projected employment growth rate of 4.5%. This indicates that the occupation is expected to add jobs rather than contract over the projection period. The presence of 74,000 annual openings highlights ongoing churn in the workforce, creating opportunities for new entrants, career changers, and experienced carpenters seeking new roles. The 4.5% projected growth rate is consistent across the top states and metro areas listed, pointing to broadly similar expansion expectations in these highlighted regions. Together, the large employment footprint, steady projected growth, and substantial annual openings make carpentry a career path with frequent hiring activity. Individuals who build strong skill sets in areas such as physical work, detail orientation, mathematics, and project management may be well-positioned to access these openings across different parts of the country.
Location plays a major role in the opportunity profile for carpenters. Among states, California leads the list with an opportunity score of 67.38, a median salary of $75,920, and employment of 100,750, combining relatively high pay with a large number of jobs. Massachusetts and New York also stand out, with median salaries of $75,200 and $72,330 and opportunity scores of 65.87 and 65.78, respectively. Washington and Colorado offer median salaries between $62,830 and $74,190 and more moderate opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, differences become even sharper. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ show the highest opportunity scores, both above 77, with median salaries of $80,190 and $74,300. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA combines an opportunity score of 68.75 with a median salary of $89,200. These comparisons indicate that some metros within high-opportunity states may provide especially strong combinations of pay and overall opportunity for carpenters.
Carpenters typically enter the occupation with a high school diploma or equivalent. This educational pathway makes the field accessible to individuals who are ready to move into the workforce without extensive formal postsecondary study. However, success in carpentry depends heavily on a broad set of skills. Physical strength and stamina, fine motor abilities, and being detail oriented are central to performing the work effectively. Mathematics and mechanical skills support accurate measurements and the use of tools and systems. Project management and leadership skills are valuable for coordinating tasks and guiding others, which can be important for those aiming for lead or supervisory roles. Critical and analytical thinking, along with science knowledge and creativity and innovation, help carpenters address problems and develop effective solutions. Together, this skill profile suggests that combining foundational education with strong hands-on, cognitive, and interpersonal abilities is important for long-term growth in this career.
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