Pick a trade and state to see real hourly rates.
Salary Guides / Tennessee
Carpenter Salary in Tennessee
Explore carpenter earnings, career-level wage ranges, major-paying industries, licensing requirements, and practical career questions in Tennessee.
What Carpenters Earn in Tennessee
Carpenters construct, install, and repair structural frameworks, fixtures, and finished woodwork for residential, commercial, and other construction projects. In Tennessee, carpenters typically earn about $18.01 to $31.95 per hour, corresponding to approximately $37,460 to $66,450 annually. Earnings vary with experience, location, specialization, employer, and project type.
Hourly rates by level in Tennessee
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other carpenters in Tennessee.
What are you making?
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.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in Tennessee
The following are national carpenter-specific industry benchmarks because comparable Tennessee industry wage figures are not consistently published. Actual Tennessee pay can vary by employer, project, and location.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Carpenters may work on commercial buildings, institutional projects, structural framing, and larger construction sites.
Building Finishing Contractors
Finish-focused work can include interior installations, trim, remodeling, and detailed carpentry where accuracy is important.
Residential Building Construction
Residential construction offers carpenters opportunities in framing, remodeling, installation, and other home-building activities.
Which states pay carpenters the most
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.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Rigger & Signalperson | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $79 | 4 weeks |
| Forklift Operator | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $100 | 5 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.25 | $520 | $59.99 | 6 weeks |
| Scaffold User | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $125 | 7 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.50 | $1,040 | $159.99 | 8 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $24.44/hr.
Questions workers ask
Does Tennessee require a carpenter license?▾
Does a home improvement carpenter need a contractor license?▾
Can a carpenter work independently in Tennessee?▾
See Open Carpenter Jobs in Tennessee
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Wage figures use the latest CareerOneStop/BLS data for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031), with annual figures based on 2,080 hours.
Last updated October 22, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.