The Reality.
Easy to enter, hard to master. Rough framing pays less but is plentiful; finish carpentry pays more but is competitive. Union carpenters (UBC) get apprenticeship benefits and pension. Non-union is everywhere but pay varies enormously. Most carpenters eventually go into business for themselves.
The Money.
| Stage | Hourly | Approx. annual (40 hr × 50 wk) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 apprentice | $16–$24/hr | $32,000 – $48,000 |
| Journeyman (top of scale) | $28–$52/hr | $56,000 – $104,000 |
| BLS national median (all stages) | — | $56,350 |
| BLS top 10% (90th percentile) | — | $89,970 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS (May 2024 release). Apprentice/journeyman hourly ranges synthesized from union scale data and reported non-union rates. Major-metro union scale runs higher; smaller markets run lower.
The Path.
- · OSHA 10
- · Scaffold User
- · First Aid/CPR
What the recruiter won't tell you.
- 01Most exposed to housing-market downturns of any trade. 2008–2012 was carnage.
- 02Tool cost adds up fast — finish carpenters routinely own $5K+ in tools.
- 03Many non-union 'apprenticeships' are unstructured helper jobs. Confirm registered status.
- 04Back and knee injuries are common career-enders. Stretch, lift right, retire whole.
The Tool Bill.
What you'll spend on tools in your first year. Don't let anyone tell you it's less.
More in construction trades.
All trades →Erects the skeleton of buildings, bridges, stadiums. Walks the iron. Highest-paid construction trade in many metros.
Runs the big iron — cranes, excavators, bulldozers, graders. Solid pay, strong union, less brutal on the body than other construction trades.
Lays brick, block, and stone. Old trade, slow to change, body-intensive. Skilled masons command top pay; helpers, not so much.