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Carpenters Salary by State
There were an estimated 697,740 carpenters working in the United States in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey. The typical (median) carpenter earned $59,310 a year, or $28.51 an hour, while the mean annual wage was $64,040. Pay spans a wide range even inside the same occupation: the lowest-paid 10% of carpenters earned $38,760 or less, the bottom quarter earned $47,550 or less, the top quarter earned at least $75,620, and the top 10% earned at least $98,370. Where a carpenter works matters almost as much as the job itself, as the state table below shows.
Where carpenters earn the most — and least
The highest median pay for carpenters is in Hawaii, at $85,970 a year — 45.0% higher than the national median of $59,310. Next are Illinois at $76,410 and California at $74,820. At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest published median, $46,160, which is 22.2% lower than the national figure. That is a top-to-bottom spread of about 1.9 times between the highest- and lowest-paying states for the same occupation — a gap driven by local labor markets, licensing, employer mix, and cost of living rather than by differences in the job title itself.
Where the carpenter jobs are
Employment is concentrated in a handful of large states. California alone employs 106,500 carpenters, and the three largest states — California, New York, and Florida — together account for 28% of all U.S. jobs in this occupation. Pay in the largest market, California, runs at a median of $74,820, 26.2% higher than the national median, so the biggest job market is also one of the better-paying ones. Smaller states can still be attractive: several low-population states post medians close to the national figure with far less competition for each opening.
Carpenter salary by state — full table
Median and mean annual wages for carpenters in every state where BLS publishes an estimate for May 2024, ranked by median pay. The 90th-percentile column shows what the top-earning tenth of carpenters in each state make. Follow a state link for that state's full wage tables, or open a detailed guide where one is available.
| State | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 5,630 | $41.33 | $85,970 | $86,730 | $117,760 |
| Illinois | 24,930 | $36.73 | $76,410 | $77,940 | $118,810 |
| California | 106,500 | $35.97 | $74,820 | $77,680 | $119,190 |
| Washington Detailed guide | 26,340 | $35.22 | $73,260 | $77,630 | $111,840 |
| Massachusetts | 19,100 | $34.19 | $71,110 | $77,360 | $121,110 |
| District of Columbia | 1,270 | $31.78 | $66,100 | $67,460 | $82,780 |
| Alaska | 2,700 | $31.32 | $65,150 | $76,870 | $123,810 |
| Minnesota | 15,190 | $31.08 | $64,650 | $69,490 | $95,910 |
| New York | 44,500 | $30.61 | $63,660 | $73,190 | $122,180 |
| Connecticut | 5,680 | $30.53 | $63,510 | $66,010 | $84,190 |
| Nevada | 13,420 | $29.92 | $62,240 | $68,290 | $102,320 |
| Vermont | 3,010 | $29.91 | $62,220 | $61,910 | $77,220 |
| New Jersey | 12,930 | $29.75 | $61,880 | $73,130 | $122,370 |
| Michigan | 21,550 | $29.52 | $61,410 | $61,620 | $80,250 |
| Oregon | 16,390 | $29.41 | $61,170 | $67,280 | $102,980 |
| Missouri | 16,390 | $29.40 | $61,150 | $64,620 | $94,770 |
| Delaware | 1,650 | $29.38 | $61,100 | $63,060 | $81,370 |
| Indiana | 15,200 | $29.09 | $60,510 | $61,220 | $86,220 |
| Rhode Island | 2,870 | $29.09 | $60,510 | $65,760 | $92,050 |
| Wisconsin | 15,330 | $29.04 | $60,390 | $64,190 | $88,040 |
| Maryland | 10,460 | $28.91 | $60,130 | $63,080 | $88,560 |
| New Hampshire | 3,960 | $28.79 | $59,890 | $61,380 | $81,840 |
| Colorado | 13,840 | $28.60 | $59,490 | $58,650 | $75,680 |
| Pennsylvania Detailed guide | 29,900 | $28.48 | $59,240 | $62,660 | $92,160 |
| Maine | 4,830 | $28.46 | $59,190 | $59,360 | $75,220 |
| North Dakota | 2,830 | $28.07 | $58,390 | $58,780 | $77,080 |
| Ohio | 17,280 | $28.04 | $58,310 | $58,610 | $77,420 |
| Montana | 4,240 | $27.94 | $58,110 | $58,130 | $76,230 |
| Wyoming | 2,460 | $26.86 | $55,870 | $59,570 | $79,740 |
| Arizona | 18,290 | $26.22 | $54,540 | $58,340 | $78,090 |
| Iowa | 6,650 | $26.00 | $54,080 | $55,560 | $74,400 |
| New Mexico | 3,220 | $25.00 | $52,010 | $53,560 | $75,250 |
| Utah | 14,040 | $24.86 | $51,720 | $54,620 | $74,180 |
| Kansas | 5,120 | $24.79 | $51,550 | $55,920 | $78,760 |
| Kentucky | 8,200 | $24.45 | $50,860 | $52,970 | $68,520 |
| Georgia | 9,620 | $24.29 | $50,530 | $50,700 | $62,830 |
| Virginia | 18,340 | $24.15 | $50,220 | $53,280 | $71,730 |
| Louisiana | 8,820 | $23.88 | $49,660 | $51,150 | $67,110 |
| Nebraska | 6,550 | $23.84 | $49,590 | $52,840 | $68,760 |
| Tennessee | 8,680 | $23.81 | $49,520 | $50,900 | $64,800 |
| South Carolina | 7,070 | $23.51 | $48,910 | $51,780 | $75,720 |
| Idaho | 7,340 | $23.33 | $48,530 | $53,010 | $72,140 |
| Texas | 34,400 | $23.15 | $48,150 | $49,320 | $62,380 |
| Florida | 44,130 | $23.12 | $48,080 | $50,200 | $64,930 |
| Alabama | 5,700 | $23.02 | $47,880 | $48,270 | $63,910 |
| Oklahoma | 3,810 | $22.95 | $47,740 | $50,760 | $76,080 |
| North Carolina | 13,410 | $22.90 | $47,630 | $48,000 | $63,850 |
| West Virginia | 2,910 | $22.75 | $47,320 | $49,350 | $66,450 |
| South Dakota | 4,440 | $22.36 | $46,500 | $48,090 | $62,490 |
| Arkansas | 3,860 | $22.27 | $46,320 | $49,840 | $69,550 |
| Mississippi | 2,230 | $22.19 | $46,160 | $48,750 | $66,820 |
Carpenter wages in U.S. territories
| Area | Employment | Median hourly | Median annual | Mean annual | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 250 | $24.27 | $50,480 | $53,480 | $66,780 |
| Guam | 1,460 | $17.49 | $36,380 | $38,380 | $47,310 |
| Puerto Rico | 3,230 | $13.55 | $28,190 | $28,780 | $35,690 |
How to read these numbers
The median is the middle wage: half of carpenters earn more and half earn less. The mean is pulled up by the highest earners, which is why the mean of $64,040 sits above the median of $59,310 for this occupation. OEWS wages are gross pay before taxes and benefits, and BLS converts hourly rates to annual figures on a 2,080-hour, year-round full-time basis; part-time and seasonal workers' actual annual earnings can be lower. Figures marked with a plus sign are at or above the BLS reporting cap of $239,200 a year ($115.00 an hour).
Carpenter salary FAQ
What is the average carpenter salary?
BLS put the mean annual wage for carpenters at $64,040 in May 2024, with a median of $59,310 ($28.51 an hour) across 697,740 U.S. jobs.
Which state pays carpenters the most?
Hawaii has the highest median pay for carpenters, at $85,970 a year in May 2024 — 45.0% higher than the national median of $59,310.
Which state pays carpenters the least?
Among states where BLS publishes an estimate, Mississippi has the lowest median for carpenters, at $46,160 a year, 22.2% lower than the national median.
How many carpenters are there in the United States?
BLS estimated 697,740 carpenters jobs in May 2024. The largest state market is California, with 106,500 jobs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Figures checked October 2026.