Carpenter Apprentice Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Carpenter Apprentice in the United States was $43,780 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers earned between $36,730 and $49,400.
Closest proxy Our title "Carpenter Apprentice" is reported by BLS as SOC 47-3012 Helpers--Carpenters. Closest proxy: Helpers--Carpenters. This published occupation covers only part of Carpenter Apprentice; do not treat it as a quoted range for the complete role.
Annual wages
Carpenter Apprentice, the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $31,660, half earned less than the median of $43,780, 90% earned less than $57,670 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,660 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $36,730 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $43,780 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $49,400 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $57,670 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $44,050 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages
Carpenter Apprentice, the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $15.22, half earned less than the median of $21.05, 90% earned less than $27.73 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $15.22 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $17.66 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $21.05 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $23.75 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $27.73 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $21.18 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 21,680 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 47-3012 Helpers--Carpenters, National.
What BLS wages include. Base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. They leave out overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $40,110 | $35,880 to $46,440 | 470 | 1.19 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $44,630 | $36,400 to $49,070 | 350 | 1.75 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $39,460 | $37,230 to $45,870 | 280 | 1.43 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $37,360 | $35,270 to $42,930 | 150 | 1.47 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $48,850 | $38,030 to $54,670 | 1,360 | 1.03 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $48,850 | $38,030 to $54,670 | 1,360 | 1.03 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,740 | $34,060 to $47,800 | 530 | 0.94 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $44,600 | $36,860 to $49,890 | 740 | 1.6 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $46,940 | $42,970 to $59,740 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
How does Carpenter Apprentice pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 47-3012, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | $43,860 | Annual | 19,120 |
| Construction of Buildings | 236000 | $44,770 | Annual | 10,950 |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $45,010 | Annual | 8,030 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $44,700 | Annual | 2,920 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237000 | $49,590 | Annual | 440 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $51,140 | Annual | 210 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 237300 | $45,190 | Annual | 70 |
| Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 237900 | $49,530 | Annual | 160 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $41,400 | Annual | 7,730 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $44,530 | Annual | 2,490 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $34,150 | Annual | 400 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 238300 | $39,470 | Annual | 4,190 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors | 238900 | $43,870 | Annual | 660 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $37,980 | Annual | 710 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | 321000 | $37,990 | Annual | 210 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 321900 | $37,440 | Annual | 210 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 336000 | $32,050 | Annual | 70 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 336600 | $32,050 | Annual | 70 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 337000 | $37,750 | Annual | 320 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3370A1 | $37,750 | Annual | 320 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339000 | $39,770 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339900 | $39,770 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 53 | $37,920 | Annual | 280 |
| Real Estate | 531000 | $54,900 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Rental and Leasing Services | 532000 | $37,350 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) | 5320A1 | $37,350 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Carpentry Foreman (47-1011)Carpentry Superintendent (11-9021)Bilingual Framing Foreman (47-1011)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Helpers--Carpenters. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $64,810 | 750 | 0.86 | 1.16 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $62,370 | 340 | 1.03 | 0.84 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59,090 | 50 | 3.3 | 1.08 |
| New Haven, CT | $52,760 | 40 | 1.06 | 0.88 |
| Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA | $52,760 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.07 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $51,200 | 130 | 0.77 | 0.84 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $50,590 | 40 | 0.93 | 1.03 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $50,540 | 40 | 0.54 | 0.84 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $50,290 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 0.94 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $49,800 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 0.87 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $33,590 | 60 | 2.87 | 0.75 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $31,520 | 40 | 3.34 | 0.69 |
| Rapid City, SD | $30,900 | 40 | 3.79 | 0.67 |
| El Paso, TX | $28,940 | 50 | 1.03 | 0.73 |
| Ogden, UT | $26,730 | 160 | 4.25 | 0.55 |
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $26,380 | 1,010 | 10.54 | 0.90 |
| Mayaguez, PR | $23,390 | 40 | 5.89 | 0.93 |
| Ponce, PR | $23,210 | 110 | 12.28 | 0.86 |
| Aguadilla, PR | $22,940 | 130 | 18.62 | 0.87 |
| Arecibo, PR | $22,200 | 30 | 7.04 | 0.85 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Carpenter Apprentice in National as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Carpenter Apprentice in National, the published median for SOC 47-3012, Helpers--Carpenters, is $43,780 per year. The middle half of the Carpenter Apprentice in National wage distribution runs from $36,730 to $49,400, a width of $12,670 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Carpenter Apprentice comparison, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports $48,850 per year while San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR reports $26,380 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Carpenter Apprentice figure pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Helpers--Carpenters, read alongside Carpenter Apprentice in National, are Real Estate at $54,900 per year (NAICS 531000); Utility System Construction at $51,140 per year (NAICS 237100); Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction at $49,590 per year (NAICS 237000). Those Carpenter Apprentice in National industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Carpenter Apprentice in National median was $41,600 per year in May 2024, compared with $43,780 in May 2025, a published difference of $2,180. That Carpenter Apprentice in National comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $41,600 and $43,780 Carpenter Apprentice in National estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before offering $43,780 per year for Carpenter Apprentice in National, separate on-call duties, overtime, travel reimbursement, tool replacement and any truck allowance separately; prevailing wage and union requirements must be checked against the actual assignment. The Carpenter Apprentice in National BLS comparison includes ordinary wages and qualifying incentive pay, but leaves overtime, discretionary bonuses, benefits and relocation outside this wage figure. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Carpenter Apprentice in National can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Carpenter Apprentice in National is proxy: Closest proxy: Helpers--Carpenters; This published occupation covers only part of Carpenter Apprentice; do not treat it as a quoted range for the complete role. For a Carpenter Apprentice in National opening, establish the equipment, license requirements and responsibility before deciding which people the pay range should attract. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Carpenter Apprentice in National buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Carpenter Apprentice in National buyer?
Carpenter Apprentice in National has a published middle-half band of $36,730 to $49,400, a width of $12,670 per year, with median $43,780. An offer inside that Carpenter Apprentice in National band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Carpenter Apprentice in National?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Carpenter Apprentice in National. Comparing those Helpers--Carpenters tables with the $43,780 Carpenter Apprentice in National median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Carpenter Apprentice in National?
Carpenter Apprentice in National uses national industry rows for SOC 47-3012, not local sector-specific wages. Real Estate leads the selected sortable rows at $54,900 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Carpenter Apprentice in National.
What changed between the releases for Carpenter Apprentice in National?
Carpenter Apprentice in National moved from $41,600 in May 2024 to $43,780 in May 2025. These Carpenter Apprentice in National published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 47-3012. Published annual median: $41,600 (May 2024) and $43,780 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.