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Salary Guides / Virginia
Framer Salary in Virginia
Compare Virginia carpenter employee wages with framing responsibilities, crew schedules and the personal costs attached to each framing job offer.
What Framers Earn in Virginia
Virginia carpenter wages span $18.38–$35.70/hr, with framing included in that broader occupation. These employee figures exclude premium pay and benefits. When comparing a framing offer, connect the rate to floor layout, wall assembly, roof work and crew responsibility. Ask how many hours are scheduled and how weather interruptions affect the working week. Contract prices cover separate business expenses. Separate those quotations from wage offers when discussing your experience with employers.
Hourly rates by level in Virginia
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 framers in Virginia.
What are you making?
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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 Virginia
These national carpenter figures cover three settings relevant to framing applicants. Discuss the building systems and crew duties behind each employment offer before accepting.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Commercial building crews coordinate framing with larger construction schedules. Ask which structural systems you will assemble and how site moves work. Discuss who sets out openings and handles changes to the approved framing details.
Residential Building Construction
House framing moves from floor platforms to walls and roofs. Discuss delivery timing, weather arrangements and who handles corrections after inspections. Ask whether you stay with one crew through successive houses or move between packages.
Structural and Exterior Contractors
Specialist subcontractors handle building frames and shells. Ask whether your package includes sheathing and how the crew hands work to following trades. Clarify whether you are joining an employee crew or pricing a subcontract with its own overheads.
Which states pay framers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$4.43 | $9,214 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$0.92 | $1,914 | $159 | 5 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.31 | $645 | $59 | 5 weeks |
| Supported Scaffold User | +$0.12 | $250 | $35 | 8 weeks |
| Fall Protection Competent Person | +$0.25 | $520 | $149 | 15 weeks |
| Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator | +$0.08 | $166 | $59 | 19 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $26.77/hr.
Questions workers ask
Must I buy my own fall harness for framing work?▾
Can my employer deduct lost tools from my framing pay?▾
Can my framing experience earn a higher apprenticeship wage step?▾
See Open Framer Jobs in Virginia
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031; carpenters broadly, including framers, excluding premium pay and benefits.
Last updated October 27, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.