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Current BLS California employee wages for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031; carpenters broadly, including framers, excluding premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.
Salary Guides / California
Read California carpenter wage ranges alongside framing duties, paid hours and national sector figures when comparing employment offers.
California carpenter employees earn $22.83–$57.67/hr across the range shown here, with published annual wages of $47,490–$119,950 a year. These figures include framers within the broader carpenter occupation. They exclude premium pay and benefits. For a framing offer, connect the hourly range with the work expected, from marking wall plates to coordinating floor, wall and roof assembly. Ask who pays for required tools and how site moves affect hours.
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
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$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
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An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
These national carpenter medians cover three industries employing framing crews. Ask California employers about the actual structures, schedules and paid duties behind each offer.
Commercial building employers coordinate framing with other trades. Ask about drawing revisions, delivery windows and responsibility for correcting openings before handover. For work with a California building contractor, discuss whether the role also includes formwork or finish carpentry.
House builders need floor, wall and roof assembly. Compare expected paid hours across new homes, additions and remodeling assignments locally. Ask which framing systems you will use and how the crew handles work between building stages.
Specialist framing firms sit within this broader structural and exterior group. Discuss sheathing, truss placement and the boundary of each package. When a California framing subcontractor makes an offer, ask about paid preparation and movement between its projects.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Carpenters Training Fund Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$5.44 | $11,315 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$3.51 | $7,301 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$2.52 | $5,242 | $159 | 2 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.84 | $1,747 | $59 | 2 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.67 | $1,394 | $149 | 6 weeks |
| Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator | +$0.21 | $437 | $59 | 8 weeks |
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $36.50/hr.
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
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