Pick a trade and state to see real hourly rates.
Pick a trade and state to see real hourly rates.
Salary Guides / USA
This guide covers national carpenter wages, experience-based pay levels, licensing, higher-paying sectors, and key career considerations.
Carpenters build, install, and repair structures, including framing, formwork, interior finishes, and other woodwork. Nationally, carpenters earn $19.43 per hour at entry, $29.12 at the median, and $48.03 at the top, which corresponds to about $40,414, $60,570, and $99,902 a year.
What carpenters earn at each stage of the trade in USA, before overtime or per-diem.
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other carpenters in USA.
Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.
Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
$32.00 is above roughly 52% of this market. The top quarter starts at $37.00, and the median sits at $31.50.
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
Higher-paying carpenter work can involve public agencies and heavy civil projects. Rates are national medians from the same OEWS May 2025 industry tables.
Maintenance and repair carpentry for state agencies and facilities.
Building and repair work on city and county facilities.
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCCER Level 2 | +$1 | $2,080 | $190 | 5 weeks |
| Scaffold User | +$1 | $2,080 | $210 | 5 weeks |
| NCCER Level 1 | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $190 | 6 weeks |
| Fall Protection | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $165 | 6 weeks |
At $29.12/hr.
U.S. carpenter wages use the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates for SOC 47-2031. Entry reflects the 10th percentile, Median the 50th percentile, and Top the 90th percentile. Annual pay is the hourly rate × 2,080 hours.
Last updated October 5, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Formwork and falsework for roads, bridges, and heavy civil projects.
| First Aid/CPR | +$0.25 | $520 | $70 | 7 weeks |
| OSHA 10 | +$0.25 | $520 | $85 | 9 weeks |
| OSHA 30 | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $170 | 9 weeks |