Career
Carpenters
Build and repair the wooden frameworks of buildings.
$60,580
Median pay
+3.9%
Job growth, 2025–35
62,800
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
- Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
- Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
- Select and order lumber or other required materials.
- Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Coordination.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though apprenticeship is typical, for a median of $60,580 a year and 62,800 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Carpentry/CarpenterCIP 46.0201
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers$58,930 · +2.5%
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers$62,780 · +3.1%
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons$62,120 · +1.1%
- Sheet Metal Workers$61,800 · +2.5%
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330 · -6.2%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.