Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 47-3012

Helpers--Carpenters

Median pay sits 40% below the mid peer in Construction and Extraction Occupations (neighbors include Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Brickmasons and Blockmasons, Roof Bolters, Mining, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Helpers--Carpenters: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Brickmasons and Blockmasons ($62K) , Roof Bolters, Mining ($79K) , Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Helpers--Carpenters publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-3012 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Clean work areas, machines, or equipment, to maintain a clean and safe job site
  2. 2. Fasten timbers or lumber with glue, screws, pegs, or nails and install hardware
  3. 3. Perform tie spacing layout and measure, mark, drill or cut
  4. 4. Select tools, equipment, or materials from storage and transport items to work site
  5. 5. Drill holes in timbers or lumber
  6. 6. Cut timbers, lumber, or paneling to specified dimensions
  7. 7. Position and hold timbers, lumber, or paneling in place for fastening or cutting
  8. 8. Align, straighten, plumb, or square forms for installation
  9. 9. Hold plumb bobs, sighting rods, or other equipment to aid in establishing reference points and lines
  10. 10. Erect scaffolding, shoring, or braces
  11. 11. Construct forms and assist in raising them to the required elevation
  12. 12. Install handrails under the direction of a carpenter

Helpers--Carpenters: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-3012 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Speaking 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.0
  5. 5. Social Perceptiveness 3.0
  6. 6. Coordination 3.0
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.0
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.6
  2. 2. Mechanical 4.1
  3. 3. Mathematics 4.1
  4. 4. Transportation 4.0
  5. 5. English Language 3.9
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.5
Pay vs Construction and Extraction Occupations peers
-40%
vs mid peer median $73,300
This role $43,780/yr
$44K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
2,700
Annual openings
21,680
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Helpers--Carpenters

1. Massachusetts $48,130
2. Washington $46,060
3. California $49,890
4. New York $47,740
5. Rhode Island $50,300
6. Maine $50,100
7. Connecticut $50,460
8. Arkansas $46,800
9. New Hampshire $58,090
10. Colorado $50,900

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Roof Bolters, Mining $78,540
  2. 2. Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators $70,070
  3. 3. Brickmasons and Blockmasons $62,120
  4. 4. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  5. 5. Terrazzo Workers and Finishers $76,170
  6. 6. Pile Driver Operators $73,300

Among Construction and Extraction Occupations peers on this card, Helpers--Carpenters sits 40% below the mid peer median ($73,300). Its own median is $43,780.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $48,130. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Helpers--Carpenters pay-rank #56 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

On the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table (60 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Helpers--Carpenters lands at #56, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-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.

Helpers--Carpenters pays 40% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Helpers--Carpenters salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-3012

Massachusetts · top state for Helpers--Carpenters

$48K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$46K · behind Massachusetts

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Helpers--Carpenters · $110K

Brickmasons and Blockmasons

Lower-pay peer beside Helpers--Carpenters · $62K

Compare Helpers--Carpenters

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

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Helpers--Carpenters

Against another occupation

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Helpers--Carpenters land on the Construction and Extraction Occupations median table? ▼
Helpers--Carpenters is pay-rank #56 of 60 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Helpers--Roofers ($44K), Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other ($43K), Helpers--Electricians ($43K), Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters ($42K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do helpers--carpenters do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Helpers--Carpenters. Leading ones include: Clean work areas, machines, or equipment, to maintain a clean and safe job site; Fasten timbers or lumber with glue, screws, pegs, or nails and install hardware; Perform tie spacing layout and measure, mark, drill or cut; Select tools, equipment, or materials from storage and transport items to work site. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for helpers--carpenters? ▼
For SOC 47-3012, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Speaking (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Helpers--Carpenters? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $43,780 as the national median for Helpers--Carpenters. The published 10th-90th range is $31,660 to $57,670. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Helpers--Carpenters? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Helpers--Carpenters is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 2,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Helpers--Carpenters? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Helpers--Carpenters. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Helpers--Carpenters? ▼
Massachusetts ($48,130), Washington ($46,060), California ($49,890) 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 Helpers--Carpenters card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-3012. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Helpers--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