Carpenters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for carpenterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $65,630 ≈ $32/hr
National median salary $60,580
Total employment 670,090 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 74,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 959,000 → 1,002,100 (+43,100)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$87,480
- Alaska$80,460
- Illinois$80,320
- Massachusetts$79,680
- Washington$79,170
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$49,280
- Alabama$49,490
- Oklahoma$49,610
- Georgia$50,290
- North Carolina$50,510
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $87,480 | $85,280 | $42 | +33.3% | 4,810 |
| 2 | Alaska | $80,460 | $73,860 | $39 | +22.6% | 2,560 |
| 3 | Illinois | $80,320 | $79,000 | $39 | +22.4% | 19,570 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $79,680 | $75,200 | $38 | +21.4% | 18,540 |
| 5 | Washington | $79,170 | $74,190 | $38 | +20.6% | 26,960 |
| 6 | California | $78,810 | $75,920 | $38 | +20.1% | 100,750 |
| 7 | New York | $75,970 | $72,330 | $37 | +15.8% | 40,630 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $71,990 | $64,010 | $35 | +9.7% | 14,230 |
| 9 | Oregon | $70,880 | $62,870 | $34 | +8% | 15,110 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $70,320 | $64,930 | $34 | +7.1% | 14,930 |
| 11 | Nevada | $69,250 | $62,380 | $33 | +5.5% | 12,700 |
| 12 | Maryland | $69,040 | $62,960 | $33 | +5.2% | 9,770 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $68,680 | $64,060 | $33 | +4.6% | 5,160 |
| 14 | Colorado | $66,190 | $62,830 | $32 | +0.9% | 12,740 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $65,990 | $61,710 | $32 | +0.5% | 1,540 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $65,300 | $61,660 | $31 | -0.5% | 13,880 |
| 17 | Missouri | $65,000 | $60,840 | $31 | -1% | 14,410 |
| 18 | Indiana | $64,950 | $62,870 | $31 | -1% | 15,240 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $64,320 | $60,840 | $31 | -2% | 2,580 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $64,100 | $61,200 | $31 | -2.3% | 3,760 |
| 21 | Maine | $63,300 | $62,160 | $30 | -3.6% | 5,170 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $63,220 | $59,370 | $30 | -3.7% | 30,630 |
| 23 | Delaware | $62,690 | $59,200 | $30 | -4.5% | 2,250 |
| 24 | Ohio | $62,590 | $60,810 | $30 | -4.6% | 18,450 |
| 25 | Michigan | $62,140 | $61,680 | $30 | -5.3% | 18,590 |
| 26 | Vermont | $62,000 | $62,400 | $30 | -5.5% | 3,080 |
| 27 | Montana | $59,640 | $58,820 | $29 | -9.1% | 4,030 |
| 28 | Kansas | $59,460 | $56,960 | $29 | -9.4% | 5,210 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $59,350 | $56,850 | $29 | -9.6% | 2,260 |
| 30 | Arizona | $58,980 | $58,580 | $28 | -10.1% | 16,230 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $57,980 | $57,890 | $28 | -11.7% | 2,360 |
| 32 | Iowa | $57,640 | $57,710 | $28 | -12.2% | 5,770 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $57,430 | $59,720 | $28 | -12.5% | 3,630 |
| 34 | Idaho | $56,080 | $52,000 | $27 | -14.6% | 8,380 |
| 35 | Virginia | $55,390 | $55,690 | $27 | -15.6% | 20,460 |
| 36 | Utah | $55,360 | $52,360 | $27 | -15.6% | 15,220 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $55,350 | $50,670 | $27 | -15.7% | 6,950 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $54,960 | $50,320 | $26 | -16.3% | 5,710 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $54,820 | $52,680 | $26 | -16.5% | 8,540 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $53,990 | $50,830 | $26 | -17.7% | 8,200 |
| 41 | Florida | $52,560 | $49,870 | $25 | -19.9% | 39,300 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $51,600 | $49,920 | $25 | -21.4% | 8,990 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $51,350 | $47,760 | $25 | -21.8% | 4,030 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $51,330 | $48,140 | $25 | -21.8% | 4,560 |
| 45 | Texas | $50,990 | $48,900 | $25 | -22.3% | 33,540 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $50,540 | $48,710 | $24 | -23% | 3,670 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $50,510 | $49,100 | $24 | -23% | 13,480 |
| 48 | Georgia | $50,290 | $49,350 | $24 | -23.4% | 9,190 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $49,610 | $46,910 | $24 | -24.4% | 3,820 |
| 50 | Alabama | $49,490 | $48,220 | $24 | -24.6% | 5,560 |
| 51 | Mississippi | $49,280 | $48,650 | $24 | -24.9% | 2,950 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 517 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kankakee, IL | $95,280 | $82,070 | 120 |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $94,310 | $89,400 | 3,120 |
| 3 | Michigan City-La Porte, IN | $91,970 | $79,860 | 260 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $89,200 | $89,630 | 14,010 |
| 5 | Decatur, IL | $87,220 | $88,510 | 180 |
| 6 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $84,970 | $90,730 | 280 |
| 7 | Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $84,650 | $79,950 | 400 |
| 8 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $84,430 | $75,310 | 650 |
| 9 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $82,110 | $85,220 | 700 |
| 10 | Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | $80,750 | $83,090 | 990 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing carpenterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $109,560 | $106,580 | — |
| 2 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, Privately Owned | $106,110 | $97,150 | 50 |
| 3 | Chemical Manufacturing | $105,520 | $104,100 | 110 |
| 4 | Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $104,730 | $104,150 | 1,340 |
| 5 | Motion Picture and Video Industries | $104,730 | $104,150 | 1,340 |
| 6 | Sector 51 - Information | $104,730 | $103,860 | 1,350 |
| 7 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | $97,330 | $93,010 | 60 |
| 8 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $96,740 | $87,880 | 140 |
| 9 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $96,740 | $87,880 | 140 |
| 10 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | $94,300 | $77,220 | 40 |
| 11 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $92,730 | $89,680 | 110 |
| 12 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | $91,450 | $84,900 | 70 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do carpenters make in the U.S.?
The median carpenters salary in the United States is $60,580 per year (mean $65,630), and about 80% earn between $40,410 and $99,910.
How much do carpenters make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $65,630 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays carpenters the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for carpenters at $87,480 per year (median $85,280).
What is the job outlook for carpenters?
Employment is projected to change +4.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 74,100 openings per year.