How much should I pay a carpenters in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Carpenters is $60,570 to $76,835 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows manufacturing wages growing about 3.3% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a carpenters?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $48,506 is below market, $60,570 to $76,835 is competitive, and above $76,835 is above market for Carpenters.

How is carpenters pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 2.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI). Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Carpenters Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 47-2031 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$60,570

$29.12/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Carpenters salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$40K

P25$49K

P50$61K

P75$77K

P90$100K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $60,570 to $76,835 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Carpenters pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · STABLE

Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.5 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.3% per year, holding steady.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Carpenters is $60,570 per year ($29.12/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,506 and $76,835 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $99,902 per year. There are approximately 670,090 carpenters employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+4.5%

Faster than average

Annual openings

74K

per year, on avg

Workforce today

959K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Apprenticeship

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100	204K	$60,600
Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300	113K	$60,880
Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200	109K	$63,780
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100	91K	$58,790
Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900	17K	$59,900

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$19.43	$40,414
P25	$23.32	$48,506
P50MEDIAN	$29.12	$60,570
P75	$36.94	$76,835
P90	$48.03	$99,902

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · manufacturing sector

Stable

Openings Rate

3.7%

Quits Rate

1.5%

Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average carpenters salary?

The national median salary for Carpenters is $60,570 per year ($29.12/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,506 and $76,835 annually.

How much do top-earning carpenters make?

The 90th percentile salary for Carpenters is $99,902 per year ($48.03/hr). The 75th percentile is $76,835 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for carpenters?

Entry-level Carpenters (10th percentile) earn approximately $40,414 per year ($19.43/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,506 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations

Construction Laborers47-2061$47K/yr First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers47-1011$80K/yr Electricians47-2111$63K/yr Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators47-2073$60K/yr Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters47-2152$64K/yr Browse all 770+ occupations →

Carpenters Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

California100,750 workers New York40,630 workers Florida39,300 workers Texas33,540 workers Pennsylvania30,630 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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