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CareerOneStop reports South Carolina 2025 carpenter wages at these hourly levels. The figures correspond to the low, median, and high wage measures for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031.
Last updated October 1, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Hiring guide · South Carolina
Learn how to hire qualified carpenters, verify requirements, and assess practical skills for South Carolina construction projects.
Carpenters in South Carolina work across residential construction, commercial building, remodeling, framing, finish work, concrete forms, and general building maintenance. Their responsibilities can include measuring and cutting materials, framing walls and roofs, installing doors and windows, building forms, and completing detailed interior finishes. Strong candidates should read plans accurately, use hand and power tools safely, maintain precise measurements, and adapt when site conditions change. Employers also need to distinguish a carpenter's individual skills from contractor registration and licensing requirements that apply to the business or person contracting for the work. This guide helps employers evaluate experience, verify relevant requirements, find trained candidates, and use practical interview questions to determine whether a carpenter fits the project's technical, safety, and scheduling needs.
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.
South Carolina carpenters generally progress by building supervised experience, technical skills, independence, and leadership responsibility.
An apprentice develops core carpentry skills while working under supervision and receiving structured training.
Work independently on more complex carpentry tasks, apply trade knowledge, and take responsibility for quality, productivity, and jobsite safety.
Lead experienced carpentry work, coordinate crews or projects, solve complex jobsite problems, and serve as a senior trade resource.
Budget $24.36 an hour for a qualified carpenter in South Carolina, from $17.31 at entry level to $38 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 →Before hiring, confirm the worker's role, applicable contractor registration or licensing, worker coverage, safety requirements, and project-specific rules.
South Carolina employers can recruit carpenters through Apprenticeship Carolina, technical colleges, workforce programs, and established construction training providers.
Use practical questions to determine whether a carpenter can perform accurate, safe, and independent work at the level required.
Vague project responsibilities
No measurable carpentry experience
Unverified training claims
No blueprint experience
Limited tool experience
No independent work history
Skills mismatched to the position
A realistic schedule for a certified carpenter, from writing the requisition to a badged start. The screening steps are where time is actually lost.
South Carolina does not publish separate statewide carpenter wage rates by construction sector, so the verified statewide median of $24.36 per hour is used across these sectors.
Residential carpenters may handle framing, remodeling, doors, windows, trim, and repair work across new and existing homes.
Commercial carpenters work from detailed drawings on projects where scheduling and coordination with other trades are central to the job.
Finish work focuses on precise installation of trim, doors, cabinets, molding, and other visible components.
Framing carpenters construct walls, floors, roofs, and openings while maintaining consistent layout and structural accuracy.
Cabinetry and custom woodworking require careful measurements, material preparation, assembly, installation, and detailed finishing.
Post a role and reach OSHA-certified candidates in your area.