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CareerOneStop reports these 2025 Missouri wage figures for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031, using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data.
Last updated October 5, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Hiring guide · Missouri
Learn how to hire qualified carpenters, verify local requirements, and assess practical skills for Missouri construction projects.
Carpenters in Missouri work across residential construction, commercial building, remodeling, framing, finish work, and repair projects. Their work can include structural framing, roof and floor systems, doors and windows, cabinets, trim, forms, and other building components. Strong candidates should understand measurements, construction drawings, hand and power tools, material handling, and jobsite safety. Missouri does not have a statewide general contractor license, so employers may need to check city or county requirements based on where a project takes place. This guide helps employers identify the qualifications that matter, verify applicable local requirements, find trained carpenters, screen candidates by experience level, and evaluate practical skills before making a hiring decision.
Candidate availability moves week to week. What does not move is the screening: the certifications below are what decide whether someone can be badged onto your site at all.
Missouri carpenters generally progress through supervised training, independent skilled work, and increasing leadership responsibility.
Build foundational carpentry skills through supervised work, safety training, tool use, measuring, and technical instruction.
Work independently on complex carpentry tasks, apply trade knowledge, and take responsibility for quality, productivity, and jobsite safety.
Lead experienced carpentry work, coordinate crews, solve complex jobsite problems, and maintain quality across assigned work.
Budget $29.25 an hour for a qualified carpenter in Missouri, from $18.60 at entry level to $46.30 at the top. Add a quarter to a third on top for payroll taxes, insurance and equipment, and price overtime at time and a half.
See the full carpenter salary guide →Missouri employers should verify local contractor requirements, workers’ compensation coverage, OSHA rules, and any project-specific wage or licensing obligations.
Missouri employers can recruit carpenters through the state's workforce system, registered apprenticeship programs, and established construction training organizations.
Use questions that test actual carpentry ability at the level the candidate would perform on the job.
Vague project responsibilities
Unverified apprenticeship claims
Limited blueprint experience
No measurable framing experience
Little power-tool experience
No independent project history
Frequent unexplained job changes
A realistic schedule for a certified carpenter, from writing the requisition to a badged start. The screening steps are where time is actually lost.
Missouri does not publish a current statewide carpenter wage figure separately for each construction sector, so the verified statewide median of $23.89 per hour is used rather than creating unsupported sector rates.
Residential carpenters may handle framing, remodeling, doors, windows, cabinets, trim, and exterior work.
Commercial carpenters typically work from detailed plans and coordinate installations with larger project teams.
Structural framing emphasizes accurate layout, connections, material handling, and construction of walls, floors, and roof systems.
Finish carpenters focus on precise installation of trim, doors, cabinets, molding, flooring, and other visible components.
Remodeling carpenters adapt new work to existing structures where hidden conditions can change the expected scope.
Post a role and reach OSHA-certified candidates in your area.