Carpenters in North Carolina: licensing, jobs, pay and local data

13,410 people work as carpenters in North Carolina, and the median pay is $47,630 a year (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

The Census Bureau counts 1,552 framing and finish carpentry contractor businesses with employees in North Carolina (2023 County Business Patterns).

That is 3.2 businesses per 10,000 homes, against 3.1 nationally.

North Carolina ranks 47 of 51 states for median pay in this trade.

It ranks 24 of 51 for businesses per 10,000 homes.

Figures last updated on .

Jobs
13,410
Median pay, a year
$47,630
Businesses with employees
1,552

Carpenters in North Carolina: businesses and jobs

Census Bureau 2023; Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2024
North CarolinaUnited States
Businesses with employees1,55244,636
Their employees6,380263,903
Annual payroll$332,800,000$15,548,438,000
Payroll per employee$52,163$58,917
Businesses per 10,000 homes3.23.1
Jobs13,410697,740
Jobs per 1,000 jobs2.74—
Location quotient (1.00 = the national share)0.601.00

A location quotient above 1 means the trade’s share of all jobs is larger here than nationally.

What carpenters earn in North Carolina

May 2024, US Bureau of Labor Statistics
North CarolinaUnited States
Median pay, a year$47,630$59,310
Median pay, an hour$22.90$28.51
10th percentile$32,210$38,760
25th percentile$38,060$47,550
75th percentile$56,510$75,620
90th percentile$63,850$98,370
Average pay, a year$48,000$64,040

Carpenters by county in North Carolina

Businesses with employees, 2023 County Business Patterns
CountyBusinesses with employeesTheir employeesBusinesses per 10,000 homes
Wake County2149794.3
Mecklenburg County1798813.6
Guilford County664022.8
New Hanover County613855.1
Johnston County581686.4
Union County562056.3
Buncombe County542754.0
Durham County541533.5
Forsyth County411002.3
Franklin County4114012.9
Henderson County381106.5
Iredell County384364.5
Cabarrus County371623.9
Orange County33685.2
Gaston County30903.0
Pitt County25803.0
Lincoln County20635.1
Rowan County201173.1
Davidson County19722.5
Harnett County18333.3
Cumberland County17571.2
Dare County17444.8
Randolph County17372.7
Stanly County17625.9
Brunswick County16351.6
Alamance County15411.9
Chatham County15284.2
Macon County14495.1
Pender County14244.4
Carteret County12312.3
Moore County12382.4
Onslow County12431.4
Watauga County12483.6
Wilson County12603.2
Catawba County11291.5
Davie County10185.2
Nash County10362.3
Cleveland County9122.0
Jackson County8352.9
Lee County8292.9
Wilkes County8212.5
Alexander County774.3
Haywood County7142.0
Rockingham County7431.6
Transylvania County7243.6
Wayne County7331.3
Beaufort County6262.4
Craven County6351.2
Surry County6651.8
Ashe County5312.9
Burke County5181.2
Robeson County5141.0
Rutherford County591.5
Stokes County562.3
Alleghany County4105.1
Sampson County441.5
Caldwell County3110.8
Cherokee County3111.6
Duplin County331.3
Granville County361.2

Showing the 60 counties with the most businesses, of 63.

The homes behind the work in North Carolina

Estimate (90% margin of error)
North CarolinaUnited States
Homes built 2010 to 201913.5% (±0.1 points)9.4%
Homes built 2020 or later3.0% (±0.1 points)2.0%
Detached houses65.3% (±0.2 points)61.3%
Homes built before 19404.9% (±0.1 points)11.7%

Licenses for carpenters in North Carolina

North Carolina sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license North Carolina requires and the agency that issues it.

Before work starts, the local building department says which permits the job needs and which license the person pulling them must hold.

Federal rules and model codes for carpenters

These federal rules apply to this work in every state, and the model codes below are adopted state by state; each is linked to its official text.

Business counts are establishments: a company with offices in two counties is counted in each.

Jobs and pay are for the occupation in every industry, so they include people employed by builders, property managers and governments as well as by contractors.

What you can do on Seayora in North Carolina

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Questions about North Carolina

How much do carpenters make in North Carolina?

The median pay for carpenters in North Carolina is $47,630 a year, against $59,310 nationally (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024).

How many carpenters work in North Carolina?

13,410 people work as carpenters in North Carolina, by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2024 count of jobs.

How many framing and finish carpentry contractor businesses are in North Carolina?

The Census Bureau counts 1,552 framing and finish carpentry contractor businesses with employees in North Carolina (2023 County Business Patterns).

Do carpenters need a license in North Carolina?

North Carolina sets its own licenses for this trade, and many cities and counties add their own; the US Department of Labor’s License Finder lists each license North Carolina requires and the agency that issues it.

Sources

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 .

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