Carpenters Salary 2025: $60,398 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
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$60,398 per year is the national median annual wage for carpenters (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $29/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $59,020 to $132,760. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 47-2031.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $60,398
- Median hourly wage
- $29/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $69,235
- Total US employment
- 407,300
- Top-paying metro
- San Francisco, CA, CA ($89,200)
- BLS SOC code
- 47-2031
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
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The national median wage for carpenters (BLS SOC 47-2031) is $60,398 per year — about $29/hour — across 407,300 workers in 70 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $69,235 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $44,908 while the 90th earns $98,185 — a 2.2× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most carpenters land in the $53,304–$82,041 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Francisco, CA, CA posts the highest median at $89,200, versus $46,810 in Tulsa, OK, OK — a 91% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, St. Louis, MO delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($78,878 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
BLS OEWS reports base wage for this Trades role; bonuses, commissions, and equity are excluded, so total compensation for many carpenters runs meaningfully above the figures shown — particularly at the senior end of the distribution.
Carpenters Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what carpenters earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $44,908 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $53,304 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $65,897 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $82,041 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $98,185 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Carpenters salaries range from $46,810 to $89,200 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Carpenters Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $59,020 | $71,092 | $89,200 | $110,980 | $132,760 | $49,666 | 14,010 |
| Chicago, IL | $41,220 | $56,908 | $80,440 | $99,445 | $118,450 | $74,967 | 14,220 |
| San Jose, CA | $55,210 | $65,202 | $80,190 | $107,025 | $133,860 | $40,955 | 4,460 |
| Seattle, WA | $58,090 | $65,418 | $76,410 | $100,080 | $123,750 | $51,145 | 14,970 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $46,860 | $58,412 | $75,740 | $96,585 | $117,430 | $45,627 | 30,600 |
| Boston, MA | $48,820 | $59,376 | $75,210 | $99,700 | $124,190 | $49,448 | 12,720 |
| Sacramento, CA | $45,640 | $57,160 | $74,440 | $94,600 | $114,760 | $59,695 | 9,730 |
| New York, NY | $46,860 | $57,836 | $74,300 | $99,055 | $123,810 | $39,690 | 34,210 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $49,920 | $59,576 | $74,060 | $87,445 | $100,830 | $69,736 | 10,200 |
| Portland, OR | $47,440 | $57,948 | $73,710 | $91,075 | $108,440 | $56,656 | 9,210 |
| San Diego, CA | $47,310 | $57,666 | $73,200 | $95,390 | $117,580 | $45,693 | 8,710 |
| Anchorage, AK | $48,620 | $58,292 | $72,800 | $111,060 | $149,320 | $57,323 | 1,460 |
| St. Louis, MO | $45,000 | $55,396 | $70,990 | $85,270 | $99,550 | $78,878 | 7,210 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $46,430 | $56,210 | $70,880 | $91,420 | $111,960 | $57,908 | 12,970 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $45,120 | $53,688 | $66,540 | $85,675 | $104,810 | $66,143 | 1,100 |
| Columbus, OH | $47,270 | $54,954 | $66,480 | $74,555 | $82,630 | $71,407 | 3,620 |
| Detroit, MI | $47,560 | $54,860 | $65,810 | $74,300 | $82,790 | $69,201 | 7,610 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $46,940 | $54,192 | $65,070 | $76,820 | $88,570 | $72,220 | 4,960 |
| Denver, CO | $48,160 | $54,860 | $64,910 | $77,450 | $89,990 | $57,544 | 7,250 |
| Hartford, CT | $48,940 | $55,272 | $64,770 | $81,875 | $98,980 | $57,522 | 1,660 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $47,230 | $53,902 | $63,910 | $79,045 | $94,180 | $65,616 | 3,310 |
| Buffalo, NY | $42,670 | $51,002 | $63,500 | $73,430 | $83,360 | $68,649 | 2,440 |
| Madison, WI | $46,670 | $53,394 | $63,480 | $77,955 | $92,430 | $61,156 | 2,320 |
| Fresno, CA | $45,510 | $52,694 | $63,470 | $88,340 | $113,210 | $60,161 | 1,790 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $48,690 | $54,498 | $63,210 | $75,605 | $88,000 | $45,971 | 1,100 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $41,430 | $49,810 | $62,380 | $82,645 | $102,910 | $57,229 | 9,310 |
| Baltimore, MD | $42,840 | $50,656 | $62,380 | $73,925 | $85,470 | $54,623 | 3,870 |
| Reno, NV | $44,920 | $51,892 | $62,350 | $79,625 | $96,900 | $58,545 | 2,750 |
| Providence, RI | $47,500 | $53,264 | $61,910 | $81,310 | $100,710 | $51,851 | 4,140 |
| Spokane, WA | $48,750 | $54,010 | $61,900 | $74,815 | $87,730 | $63,552 | 2,020 |
| Kansas City, MO | $44,950 | $51,694 | $61,810 | $79,110 | $96,410 | $64,790 | 4,540 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $45,690 | $52,126 | $61,780 | $80,125 | $98,470 | $52,179 | 14,260 |
| Des Moines, IA | $44,560 | $51,280 | $61,360 | $69,015 | $76,670 | $65,766 | 1,810 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $43,940 | $50,836 | $61,180 | $77,390 | $93,600 | $66,284 | 5,920 |
| Washington, DC | $47,150 | $52,610 | $60,800 | $75,695 | $90,590 | $39,791 | 13,280 |
| Albany, NY | $48,260 | $53,244 | $60,720 | $76,095 | $91,470 | $60,298 | 2,000 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $39,820 | $48,020 | $60,320 | $69,055 | $77,790 | $59,901 | 12,710 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $44,180 | $50,552 | $60,110 | $69,930 | $79,750 | $65,910 | 4,610 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $41,600 | $48,992 | $60,080 | $69,765 | $79,450 | $63,915 | 1,940 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $36,510 | $45,854 | $59,870 | $67,705 | $75,540 | $59,043 | 6,420 |
| Rochester, NY | $44,360 | $50,412 | $59,490 | $71,080 | $82,670 | $64,037 | 2,350 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $43,090 | $48,826 | $57,430 | $67,235 | $77,040 | $54,957 | 1,220 |
| Louisville, KY | $38,980 | $45,996 | $56,520 | $65,940 | $75,360 | $62,661 | 2,990 |
| Nashville, TN | $40,120 | $46,380 | $55,770 | $62,725 | $69,680 | $55,603 | 3,040 |
| Omaha, NE | $40,420 | $45,372 | $52,800 | $63,445 | $74,090 | $57,516 | 3,230 |
| Tampa, FL | $37,180 | $43,160 | $52,130 | $61,040 | $69,950 | $52,339 | 6,010 |
| Lexington, KY | $37,660 | $43,408 | $52,030 | $63,685 | $75,340 | $56,988 | 1,200 |
| Richmond, VA | $37,990 | $43,542 | $51,870 | $60,755 | $69,640 | $50,803 | 3,070 |
| Miami, FL | $38,510 | $43,734 | $51,570 | $62,055 | $72,540 | $41,893 | 10,100 |
| Charlotte, NC | $38,240 | $43,328 | $50,960 | $58,300 | $65,640 | $52,699 | 3,730 |
| Wichita, KS | $37,980 | $43,160 | $50,930 | $64,465 | $78,000 | $60,631 | 1,210 |
| Boise, ID | $36,490 | $42,234 | $50,850 | $63,700 | $76,550 | $49,804 | 4,080 |
| Raleigh, NC | $33,350 | $40,338 | $50,820 | $57,825 | $64,830 | $50,922 | 2,680 |
| Atlanta, GA | $37,190 | $42,586 | $50,680 | $56,945 | $63,210 | $51,089 | 6,380 |
| Memphis, TN | $40,250 | $44,398 | $50,620 | $57,700 | $64,780 | $60,262 | 1,240 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $37,020 | $42,428 | $50,540 | $61,470 | $72,400 | $53,144 | 2,500 |
| Birmingham, AL | $37,480 | $42,648 | $50,400 | $56,890 | $63,380 | $55,752 | 1,660 |
| Knoxville, TN | $36,600 | $42,120 | $50,400 | $60,250 | $70,100 | $55,814 | 1,280 |
| Austin, TX | $39,600 | $43,864 | $50,260 | $60,230 | $70,200 | $48,796 | 2,540 |
| New Orleans, LA | $37,250 | $42,402 | $50,130 | $61,585 | $73,040 | $52,273 | 1,390 |
| Greenville, SC | $35,460 | $41,312 | $50,090 | $63,100 | $76,110 | $55,594 | 1,340 |
| Greensboro, NC | $36,160 | $41,660 | $49,910 | $56,155 | $62,400 | $54,666 | 760 |
| Orlando, FL | $36,560 | $41,836 | $49,750 | $57,600 | $65,450 | $48,254 | 5,360 |
| Houston, TX | $39,470 | $43,550 | $49,670 | $59,085 | $68,500 | $51,472 | 9,600 |
| Tucson, AZ | $37,660 | $42,240 | $49,110 | $60,700 | $72,290 | $51,478 | 1,380 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $36,260 | $41,332 | $48,940 | $61,910 | $74,880 | $56,578 | 1,420 |
| San Antonio, TX | $37,440 | $42,024 | $48,900 | $54,220 | $59,540 | $53,443 | 2,240 |
| Dallas, TX | $36,440 | $41,360 | $48,740 | $56,310 | $63,880 | $46,820 | 9,480 |
| Little Rock, AR | $37,040 | $41,444 | $48,050 | $55,540 | $63,030 | $54,478 | 1,080 |
| Tulsa, OK | $37,770 | $41,386 | $46,810 | $53,580 | $60,350 | $53,929 | 1,320 |
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Carpenter & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Carpenter, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Carpenter prevailing wage in San Francisco, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Carpenter is $60,398 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $69,235. Salaries range from $46,810 to $89,200 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level carpenters (10th percentile) earn about $44,908 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $60,398, $82,041 at the 75th percentile, and $98,185 for the top 10% of earners.
The median carpenter earns about $29/hour, based on the $60,398 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Francisco, CA, CA posts the highest median for Carpenter at $89,200, well above the national median of $60,398. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 407,300 Carpenter positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile carpenter earns $98,185 — about 2.2× the $44,908 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.