Carpenter
Carpenters construct, repair, and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials.
What the job is
- The work
- Carpenters construct, repair, and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials.
BLS
Carpenters — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- Carpenters typically need a high school diploma and learn on the job or through an apprenticeship. BLS names no license for working as a carpenter (only a driver's license for some jobs); states license carpentry contractors who run their own business.
- Good fit for
- Students who like building with their hands, measuring precisely and working on a team outdoors and indoors.
- Career cluster
- Construction
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaLicense rules
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaState guide
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioState guide
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasState guide
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $60,580 a year ($29.12 an hour)
BLS
Carpenters — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 889,700
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training after hire
- Apprenticeship
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +4%, which BLS calls "as fast as average"
BLS
Carpenters — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +35,000 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Carpenters use many tools and need hand-eye coordination; they handle heavy tools and materials that weigh up to 100 pounds.
BLS
Carpenters — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 21 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
Carpenter: apprenticeship or on the job, OSHA 10, contractor license
See the roadmap
Route 1: Registered Apprenticeship · Route 2: Vocational school or on-the-job start
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 21 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades