Occupations · Construction and Extraction

Carpenters

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 47-2031.00

$59,310median annual wage, May 2024

697,740people employed, United States

▲ 4.5%projected change, 2024→2034

74,100openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 73% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$69,680	37,690
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$73,840	31,350
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$76,510	19,460
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$65,050	15,460
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$76,760	15,210
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ	$59,030	14,480
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$80,950	14,360
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$62,350	13,430
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$73,800	13,030
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$59,450	12,250
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$48,400	12,230
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$65,810	10,290

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue.
Study specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required.
Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
Cover subfloors with building paper to keep out moisture and lay hardwood, parquet, or wood-strip-block floors by nailing floors to subfloor or cementing them to mastic or asphalt base.
Construct forms or chutes for pouring concrete.
Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work.
Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's hand tools, or power tools.
Inspect ceiling or floor tile, wall coverings, siding, glass, or woodwork to detect broken or damaged structures.
Finish surfaces of woodwork or wallboard in houses or buildings, using paint, hand tools, or paneling.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Monitoring3.4

Critical Thinking3.4

Active Listening3.4

Speaking3.1

Reading Comprehension3.1

Active Learning3.0

Mathematics3.0

Writing2.9

Learning Strategies2.8

Science1.4

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

Intuit QuickBooks●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Windows●Microsoft Word●Bosch Punch ListCraftsman CD EstimatorDrawing and drafting softwareEstimating softwareJob costing softwareQuickenRenaissance MasterCarpenterTurtle Creek Software GoldensealVirtualBossWeb browser softwareWilhelm Publishing Threshold

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

2 / 5Some preparation — a school diploma and a few months of on-the-job training.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets+1.9 above average

Exposed to High Places+1.9 above average

Spend Time Sitting−1.7 below average

Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions+1.6 above average

Exposed to Hazardous Equipment+1.5 above average

Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles+1.5 above average

Spend Time Standing+1.5 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2022-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)52%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)21%

Less than a High School Diploma18%

Some College Courses8%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2022-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Realistic6.8

Conventional3.5

Artistic2.2

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

Tasks O*NET flags as emerging

Use drones for site surveying and to inspect hard-to-reach areas of a structure.

O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Coordination3.2

Quality Control Analysis3.1

Time Management3.0

Judgment and Decision Making3.0

Complex Problem Solving3.0

Operations Monitoring2.9

Operation and Control2.9

Equipment Selection2.8

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Building and ConstructionAdministration and ManagementMathematicsDesignEngineering and TechnologyPublic Safety and Security

Abilities it leans on

Problem SensitivityVisualizationNear VisionFinger DexterityManual DexterityTrunk Strength

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

SiderHewerCeilerLatherFramerBracerRooferCooperMolderJointerShinglerHammererSheatherSparmaker

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.

Now listed 1

+Quicken

No longer listed 2

−Intuit Quicken software−Web page creation and editing software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

SiderHewerCeilerBracerMolderCooperFramerCraterLatherRooferTrimmerJointer

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
carpenter	7115.1	exact
house builder	7111.1	close
manufactured wooden building assembler	7119.3	close
door installer	7115.2	close

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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