Pick a trade and state to see real hourly rates.
CareerOneStop reports these 2025 North Carolina wage figures for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031, using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data.
Last updated October 5, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Salary Guides / North Carolina
Discover North Carolina carpenter hourly rates, annual salaries, career levels, credentials, industries, and factors affecting earning potential.
Carpenters construct, install, and repair structures and fixtures made from wood and comparable materials, including framing, concrete forms, stairs, doors, windows, flooring, and cabinets. In North Carolina, carpenters earn $17.13 per hour at the 10th percentile, $23.61 at the median, and $30.36 at the 90th percentile. These figures correspond to $35,620, $49,100, and $63,160 annually. The data comes from BLS OEWS estimates for SOC 47-2031. Actual pay varies with experience, specialty, location, employer, union status, overtime, and project type. Regional differences are also significant, with median wages ranging from $20.94 in Western North Carolina to $24.78 in Durham-Chapel Hill.
Rates typically increase with experience, skills, and responsibility.
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other carpenters in North Carolina.
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.
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Construction segments do not have separately published statewide carpenter wage rates.
Commercial carpenters work on offices, retail properties, institutions, interiors, framing, fixtures, and larger building projects.
Residential carpenters handle framing, remodeling, finish work, installations, repairs, and housing-related construction.
Industrial carpenters may work on structural components, concrete forms, equipment supports, and specialized construction environments.
Institutional projects include schools, hospitals, public facilities, and other large structures requiring substantial construction and finish work.
Heavy construction can involve structural carpentry, concrete forms, infrastructure projects, and other specialized construction activities.
North Carolina does not have state-level prevailing wage rates, so ordinary statewide occupational wages cannot be replaced with a state public-works rate.
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 Carpentry Level 2 | +$1 | $2,080 | $190 | 5 weeks |
| Scaffold User/Competent Person (OSHA-aligned) | +$1 | $2,080 | $210 | 5 weeks |
| NCCER Carpentry Level 1 | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $190 | 6 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person (OSHA-aligned) | +$0.75 | $1,560 | $165 | 6 weeks |
| First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned) | +$0.25 | $520 | $70 | 7 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.25 | $520 | $85 | 9 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $170 | 9 weeks |
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $23.61/hr.
Verified positions matching this trade and location.