Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 47-2031

Carpenters

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Carpenters, then wages beside peers such as Roof Bolters, Mining, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Pile Driver Operators, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Carpenters: Roof Bolters, Mining ($79K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Pile Driver Operators ($73K) , Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Carpenters publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2031 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment
  2. 2. Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge
  3. 3. Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue
  4. 4. Study specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required
  5. 5. Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws
  6. 6. Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level
  7. 7. Cover subfloors with building paper to keep out moisture and lay hardwood, parquet, or wood-strip-block floors by nailing floors to subfl…
  8. 8. Construct forms or chutes for pouring concrete
  9. 9. Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work
  10. 10. Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's…
  11. 11. Inspect ceiling or floor tile, wall coverings, siding, glass, or woodwork to detect broken or damaged structures
  12. 12. Erect scaffolding or ladders for assembling structures above ground level

Carpenters: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2031 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.4
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.4
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.4
  4. 4. Coordination 3.3
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.1
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  8. 8. Mathematics 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.7
  2. 2. Administration and Management 3.9
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.9
  4. 4. Design 3.9
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.6
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 3.5
Occupation safety grade
B
Safe
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $60,580/yr
$61K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
74,100
Annual openings
670,090
Estimated US jobs
Roof Bolters, Mining
Highest-pay peer · $79K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Carpenters

1. Hawaii $85,280
2. Alaska $73,860
3. Massachusetts $75,200
4. California $75,920
5. Connecticut $64,060
6. Minnesota $64,930
7. Washington $74,190
8. New York $72,330
9. New Jersey $64,010
10. Illinois $79,000

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Roof Bolters, Mining $78,540
  2. 2. Pile Driver Operators $73,300
  3. 3. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070
  4. 4. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  5. 5. Boilermakers $76,410
  6. 6. Electricians $63,190

Carpenters carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of B from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $60,580 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations (SOC 47-2031).

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 74,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Hawaii at $85,280. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Roof Bolters, Mining at $78,540. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Carpenters pay-rank #20 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Among 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with a published OEWS median, Carpenters is pay-rank #20, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2031 · national median $60,580 · upper third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#20/60). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Carpenters salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2031

Hawaii · top state for Carpenters

$85K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$74K · behind Hawaii

Roof Bolters, Mining

Highest-pay peer vs Carpenters · $79K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Carpenters · $62K

Compare Carpenters

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Carpenters with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Carpenters full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Construction and Extraction Occupations titles sit near Carpenters at the top of the pay table? ▼
Carpenters is pay-rank #20 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters ($61K), Sheet Metal Workers ($62K), Continuous Mining Machine Operators ($62K), Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do carpenters do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Carpenters. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for carpenters? ▼
For SOC 47-2031, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.4), Critical Thinking (3.4), Monitoring (3.4), Coordination (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Carpenters? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $60,580 as the national median for Carpenters. The published 10th-90th range is $40,410 to $99,910. Beside Roof Bolters, Mining ($78,540), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Carpenters? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Carpenters is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 74,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Carpenters? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Carpenters. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Carpenters? ▼
Hawaii ($85,280), Alaska ($73,860), Massachusetts ($75,200) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Carpenters card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2031. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Carpenters. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics