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The national median salary for Helpers--Carpenters is $43,784 per year ($21.05/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,733 and $49,400 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $57,678 per year. There are approximately 21,680 helpers--carpenters employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Help carpenters by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment. Construction laborers who do not primarily assist carpenters are classified under “Construction Laborers” (47-2061). Apprentice workers are classified with the appropriate skilled construction trade occupation (47-2011 through 47-2231).
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.5%
Faster than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
25K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
No formal educational credential
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Residential Building Construction
NAICS 236100
8K
$45,010
Building Finishing Contractors
NAICS 238300
4K
$39,470
Nonresidential Building Construction
NAICS 236200
3K
$44,700
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors
NAICS 238100
2K
$44,530
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
660
$43,870
Wage range across top 5 industries: $39,470 to $45,010 (14% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$15.22
$31,658
P25
$17.66
$36,733
P50MEDIAN
$21.05
$43,784
P75
$23.75
$49,400
P90
$27.73
$57,678
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average helpers--carpenters salary?
The national median salary for Helpers--Carpenters is $43,784 per year ($21.05/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,733 and $49,400 annually.
How much do top-earning helpers--carpenters make?
The 90th percentile salary for Helpers--Carpenters is $57,678 per year ($27.73/hr). The 75th percentile is $49,400 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for helpers--carpenters?
Entry-level Helpers--Carpenters (10th percentile) earn approximately $31,658 per year ($15.22/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,733 per year.
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.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.