Carpenters: licensing, jobs and pay in the United States
697,740 people work as carpenters in the United States, and the median pay is $59,310 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
The Census Bureau counts 44,636 framing and finish carpentry contractor businesses with employees, with 263,903 employees and a payroll of $15,548,438,000 a year (2023 County Business Patterns).
Figures last updated on .
- Jobs
- 697,740
- Median pay, a year
- $59,310
- Businesses with employees
- 44,636
Carpenters by state
| State | Jobs | Median pay, a year | Businesses with employees | Businesses per 10,000 homes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 106,500 | $74,820 | 3,772 | 2.6 |
| New York | 44,500 | $63,660 | 3,248 | 3.8 |
| Florida | 44,130 | $48,080 | 4,919 | 4.8 |
| Texas | 34,400 | $48,150 | 2,051 | 1.7 |
| Pennsylvania | 29,900 | $59,240 | 1,401 | 2.4 |
| Washington | 26,340 | $73,260 | 1,788 | 5.4 |
| Illinois | 24,930 | $76,410 | 1,652 | 3.0 |
| Michigan | 21,550 | $61,410 | 1,085 | 2.3 |
| Massachusetts | 19,100 | $71,110 | 1,315 | 4.3 |
| Virginia | 18,340 | $50,220 | 1,055 | 2.9 |
| Arizona | 18,290 | $54,540 | 859 | 2.7 |
| Ohio | 17,280 | $58,310 | 1,142 | 2.2 |
| Missouri | 16,390 | $61,150 | 766 | 2.7 |
| Oregon | 16,390 | $61,170 | 753 | 4.1 |
| Wisconsin | 15,330 | $60,390 | 944 | 3.4 |
| Indiana | 15,200 | $60,510 | 838 | 2.8 |
| Minnesota | 15,190 | $64,650 | 1,150 | 4.5 |
| Utah | 14,040 | $51,720 | 1,172 | 9.6 |
| Colorado | 13,840 | $59,490 | 1,519 | 5.9 |
| Nevada | 13,420 | $62,240 | 326 | 2.5 |
| North Carolina | 13,410 | $47,630 | 1,552 | 3.2 |
| New Jersey | 12,930 | $61,880 | 1,156 | 3.0 |
| Maryland | 10,460 | $60,130 | 673 | 2.6 |
| Georgia | 9,620 | $50,530 | 1,005 | 2.2 |
| Louisiana | 8,820 | $49,660 | 298 | 1.4 |
| Tennessee | 8,680 | $49,520 | 592 | 1.9 |
| Kentucky | 8,200 | $50,860 | 352 | 1.7 |
| Idaho | 7,340 | $48,530 | 916 | 11.5 |
| South Carolina | 7,070 | $48,910 | 603 | 2.5 |
| Iowa | 6,650 | $54,080 | 568 | 4.0 |
| Nebraska | 6,550 | $49,590 | 535 | 6.2 |
| Alabama | 5,700 | $47,880 | 331 | 1.4 |
| Connecticut | 5,680 | $63,510 | 389 | 2.5 |
| Hawaii | 5,630 | $85,970 | 120 | 2.1 |
| Kansas | 5,120 | $51,550 | 426 | 3.3 |
| Maine | 4,830 | $59,190 | 317 | 4.2 |
| South Dakota | 4,440 | $46,500 | 239 | 5.8 |
| Montana | 4,240 | $58,110 | 479 | 9.1 |
| New Hampshire | 3,960 | $59,890 | 258 | 4.0 |
| Arkansas | 3,860 | $46,320 | 244 | 1.7 |
| Oklahoma | 3,810 | $47,740 | 383 | 2.2 |
| New Mexico | 3,220 | $52,010 | 175 | 1.8 |
| Vermont | 3,010 | $62,220 | 163 | 4.8 |
| West Virginia | 2,910 | $47,320 | 97 | 1.1 |
| Rhode Island | 2,870 | $60,510 | 224 | 4.6 |
| North Dakota | 2,830 | $58,390 | 190 | 5.0 |
| Alaska | 2,700 | $65,150 | 158 | 4.8 |
| Wyoming | 2,460 | $55,870 | 126 | 4.5 |
| Mississippi | 2,230 | $46,160 | 136 | 1.0 |
| Delaware | 1,650 | $61,100 | 162 | 3.5 |
| District of Columbia | 1,270 | $66,100 | 13 | 0.4 |
The highest median pay is in Hawaii ($85,970), Illinois ($76,410), California ($74,820).
The lowest is in Mississippi ($46,160), Arkansas ($46,320), South Dakota ($46,500).
What carpenters earn
| United States | |
|---|---|
| Median pay, a year | $59,310 |
| Median pay, an hour | $28.51 |
| 10th percentile | $38,760 |
| 25th percentile | $47,550 |
| 75th percentile | $75,620 |
| 90th percentile | $98,370 |
| Average pay, a year | $64,040 |
Federal rules and model codes for carpenters
Work for pay that disturbs more than 6 square feet of paint inside, or 20 square feet outside, in a home or child-occupied facility built before 1978 must be done by an EPA- or state-certified firm, directed by a certified renovator and done with lead-safe work practices; replacing windows always counts (40 CFR part 745, subpart E).
On a construction job, a worker 6 feet or more above a lower level must be protected by guardrails, safety nets or a personal fall arrest system, with the rules for roofs in OSHA’s fall protection standard (29 CFR part 1926, subpart M).
A scaffold on a construction job must be designed, erected and inspected to OSHA’s scaffold standard, with fall protection above 10 feet (29 CFR part 1926, subpart L).
Structural, roofing and finish work on homes is inspected against a building code most states and cities adopt from the International Residential Code, with their own edition and amendments.
A model code becomes law only where a state or city adopts it; the building or licensing department says which edition applies.
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA fall protection in construction (29 CFR part 1926, subpart M)
- OSHA scaffolds (29 CFR part 1926, subpart L)
- International Residential Code and International Building Code (ICC)
Licenses for carpenters
Licensing for this trade is set by each state, and often by the city or county as well; each state’s page links the official license lookup for it.
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Questions about Carpenters
How much do carpenters make?
The median pay for carpenters in the United States is $59,310 a year, and half earn between $47,550 and $75,620 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).
How many carpenters are there in the United States?
697,740 people work as carpenters, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.
Where do carpenters earn the most?
The highest median pay is in Hawaii ($85,970), Illinois ($76,410), California ($74,820).
Do carpenters need a license?
Licensing is set by each state, and often by the city or county as well; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists the licenses each state requires and the agency that issues each.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023
- US Department of Labor, CareerOneStop License Finder
- EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (40 CFR part 745, subpart E)
- OSHA fall protection in construction (29 CFR part 1926, subpart M)
- OSHA scaffolds (29 CFR part 1926, subpart L)
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them. Rules are summarized from their official text, which governs; this page is not legal advice, and a state or city may add requirements of its own.
Figures last updated on .