BLS carpenter pay in every state, commercial vs residential pay, what weather weeks cost and take-home after 2026 tax
Carpenters earned a median of $29.12 an hour in May 2025 — $60,580 a year for 52 full weeks — according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 670,090 on employers' payrolls, one of the biggest trades. An apprentice near the bottom tenth earns under $19.43; the top tenth earn over $48.03. Overtime, weather days and self-employment all fall outside these figures.
This is the BLS line for carpenters (SOC 47-2031) on employers' payrolls. Self-employed carpenters — 25% of the occupation (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook) — aren't in these figures, which matters if you're comparing a job with running your own crew. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.43 | $40,410 | $3,368 | $34,649 |
| 25th percentile | $23.32 | $48,510 | $4,043 | $41,158 |
| Median | $29.12 | $60,580 | $5,048 | $50,856 |
| 75th percentile | $36.94 | $76,830 | $6,403 | $62,880 |
| 90th percentile | $48.03 | $99,910 | $8,326 | $79,117 |
Hawaii pays carpenters the most at $41.00 an hour, then Illinois ($37.98) and California ($36.50), which employs 100,750 carpenters, more than twice any other state. Oklahoma ($22.55) and Arkansas ($22.96) pay least. Florida and Texas, the next-largest markets after New York, pay $23.98 and $23.51, both well below the national median.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $41.00 | $85,280 | 4,810 |
| Illinois | $37.98 | $79,000 | 19,570 |
| California | $36.50 | $75,920 | 100,750 |
| Massachusetts | $36.16 | $75,200 | 18,540 |
| Washington | $35.67 | $74,190 | 26,960 |
| Alaska | $35.51 | $73,860 | 2,560 |
| New York | $34.77 | $72,330 | 40,630 |
| Minnesota | $31.22 | $64,930 | 14,930 |
| Connecticut | $30.80 | $64,060 | 5,160 |
| New Jersey | $30.77 | $64,010 | 14,230 |
| Maryland | $30.27 | $62,960 | 9,770 |
| Indiana | $30.23 | $62,870 | 15,240 |
| Oregon | $30.23 | $62,870 | 15,110 |
| Colorado | $30.21 | $62,830 | 12,740 |
| Vermont | $30.00 | $62,400 | 3,080 |
| Nevada | $29.99 | $62,380 | 12,700 |
| Maine | $29.88 | $62,160 | 5,170 |
| District of Columbia | $29.67 | $61,710 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $29.66 | $61,680 | 18,590 |
| Wisconsin | $29.65 | $61,660 | 13,880 |
| New Hampshire | $29.42 | $61,200 | 3,760 |
| Missouri | $29.25 | $60,840 | 14,410 |
| Rhode Island | $29.25 | $60,840 | 2,580 |
| Ohio | $29.24 | $60,810 | 18,450 |
| New Mexico | $28.71 | $59,720 | 3,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $28.54 | $59,370 | 30,630 |
| Delaware | $28.46 | $59,200 | 2,250 |
| Montana | $28.28 | $58,820 | 4,030 |
| Arizona | $28.17 | $58,580 | 16,230 |
| North Dakota | $27.83 | $57,890 | 2,360 |
| Iowa | $27.75 | $57,710 | 5,770 |
| Kansas | $27.39 | $56,960 | 5,210 |
| Wyoming | $27.33 | $56,850 | 2,260 |
| Virginia | $26.77 | $55,690 | 20,460 |
| Kentucky | $25.33 | $52,680 | 8,540 |
| Utah | $25.17 | $52,360 | 15,220 |
| Idaho | $25.00 | $52,000 | 8,380 |
| Tennessee | $24.44 | $50,830 | 8,200 |
| South Carolina | $24.36 | $50,670 | 6,950 |
| Nebraska | $24.19 | $50,320 | 5,710 |
| Louisiana | $24.00 | $49,920 | 8,990 |
| Florida | $23.98 | $49,870 | 39,300 |
| Georgia | $23.72 | $49,350 | 9,190 |
| North Carolina | $23.61 | $49,100 | 13,480 |
| Texas | $23.51 | $48,900 | 33,540 |
| West Virginia | $23.42 | $48,710 | 3,670 |
| Mississippi | $23.39 | $48,650 | 2,950 |
| Alabama | $23.18 | $48,220 | 5,560 |
| South Dakota | $23.14 | $48,140 | 4,560 |
| Arkansas | $22.96 | $47,760 | 4,030 |
| Oklahoma | $22.55 | $46,910 | 3,820 |
Industry makes less difference than location: nonresidential building construction pays $63,780, building finishing contractors $60,880, residential building construction $60,600 and foundation and structure contractors $58,790 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Nonresidential building construction | $63,780 |
| Building finishing contractors | $60,880 |
| Residential building construction | $60,600 |
| Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors | $58,790 |
Most carpenters work full time, which may include evenings and weekends to meet clients' deadlines. They work indoors and out, from kitchen cabinets to highways and bridges, and extreme temperatures or bad weather can push back construction timelines and with them a carpenter's hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Falls, strains from lifting and contact with equipment are common injuries.
Carpentry is a skilled trade, which the learned-professional exemption doesn't cover (29 CFR 541.301), so employed carpenters are owed time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). The premium is counted week by week: a 50-hour week after a rained-out one still earns 10 hours of overtime.
BLS annual pay assumes 52 paid weeks of 40 hours. Weather and gaps between jobs mean many carpenters don't get that. The table shows a year's straight-time pay at the BLS median and 75th percentile hourly wages if you work fewer weeks; the week counts are examples, not BLS data.
| Weeks worked | At the median | At the 75th percentile | Lost vs 52 weeks (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | $60,570 | $76,835 | $0 |
| 50 | $58,240 | $73,880 | $2,330 |
| 48 | $55,910 | $70,925 | $4,659 |
| 46 | $53,581 | $67,970 | $6,989 |
| 44 | $51,251 | $65,014 | $9,318 |
| 40 | $46,592 | $59,104 | $13,978 |
Carpenters typically need a high school diploma and learn on the job or through an apprenticeship sponsored by unions or contractor associations, with set hours of technical training and paid on-the-job training each year. All carpenters must pass the OSHA 10-hour safety course; some start as construction laborers or helpers, and optional specialty certifications can open more work. Apprentices start on less than fully trained carpenters and earn more as they gain experience (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your carpenter pay:
$29.12 an hour ($60,580 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $23.32 to $36.94 an hour.
Hawaii ($41.00 an hour, $85,280 a year), then Illinois and California; Oklahoma pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
A little. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, nonresidential building construction has the highest carpenter median and residential building construction is close behind building finishing contractors. Location moves pay much more: see the state table.
BLS doesn't publish a separate apprentice wage. The OOH says apprentices start on less than fully trained carpenters and earn more as they gain experience; the 10th and 25th percentiles on this page are the closest official guide to starting pay.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.