Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2015

47-2031 Carpenters

Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
639,190 0.8 % $22.49 $46,780 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $12.61 $15.78 $20.24 $27.39 $36.90
Annual Wage (2) $26,220 $32,810 $42,090 $56,970 $76,750


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Residential Building Construction 192,580 28.30 $20.93 $43,530
Nonresidential Building Construction 113,310 15.65 $24.65 $51,270
Building Finishing Contractors 103,120 14.18 $23.71 $49,310
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 78,600 9.85 $20.65 $42,960
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 17,710 2.86 $23.18 $48,220

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Residential Building Construction 192,580 28.30 $20.93 $43,530
Nonresidential Building Construction 113,310 15.65 $24.65 $51,270
Building Finishing Contractors 103,120 14.18 $23.71 $49,310
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 78,600 9.85 $20.65 $42,960
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 6,170 5.63 $26.44 $54,990

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 70 0.02 $32.79 $68,200
Lessors of Real Estate 2,940 0.51 $32.38 $67,350
Motion Picture and Video Industries 1,930 0.49 $31.43 $65,380
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 30 0.03 $31.16 $64,820
Spectator Sports 190 0.14 $31.15 $64,790


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 82,540 5.33 1.15 $26.06 $54,200
New York 47,960 5.34 1.15 $29.18 $60,700
Florida 36,620 4.62 1.00 $17.43 $36,260
Texas 35,750 3.09 0.67 $17.44 $36,270
Pennsylvania 31,420 5.50 1.19 $22.86 $47,540




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Wyoming 3,190 11.25 2.43 $21.54 $44,790
Vermont 3,040 10.01 2.16 $20.62 $42,890
South Dakota 3,940 9.53 2.06 $16.31 $33,920
Montana 4,000 8.94 1.93 $20.42 $42,480
Nebraska 7,420 7.78 1.68 $16.91 $35,170




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 2,540 7.76 1.67 $32.69 $67,990
Hawaii 4,320 6.96 1.50 $32.10 $66,760
New York 47,960 5.34 1.15 $29.18 $60,700
New Jersey 16,560 4.24 0.91 $28.21 $58,680
Massachusetts 15,900 4.68 1.01 $28.06 $58,370





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 28,620 4.42 0.95 $32.53 $67,650
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 14,540 3.54 0.76 $25.74 $53,530
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 12,000 3.36 0.72 $31.04 $64,560
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 11,730 7.63 1.65 $26.81 $55,760
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 11,630 8.88 1.92 $23.06 $47,970
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 11,030 8.64 1.86 $29.84 $62,070
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 10,410 3.55 0.77 $18.17 $37,800
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 10,230 4.23 0.91 $22.16 $46,100
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 9,080 3.66 0.79 $19.77 $41,110
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 8,740 5.73 1.24 $24.95 $51,890




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lake Charles, LA 1,460 15.05 3.25 $21.09 $43,870
Bellingham, WA 1,120 13.79 2.97 $26.77 $55,680
Rapid City, SD 840 12.90 2.78 $15.78 $32,830
Cheyenne, WY 580 12.66 2.73 $21.91 $45,570
Lancaster, PA 2,910 12.58 2.71 $18.45 $38,370
Napa, CA 880 12.49 2.70 $31.54 $65,600
Coeur d'Alene, ID 690 12.32 2.66 $17.79 $37,000
Great Falls, MT 400 11.19 2.42 $21.93 $45,610
Barnstable Town, MA 1,100 10.86 2.34 $23.28 $48,430
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 1,210 10.74 2.32 $31.79 $66,130




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hanford-Corcoran, CA 80 2.08 0.45 $41.01 $85,300
Urban Honolulu, HI 2,760 6.08 1.31 $33.25 $69,150
Anchorage, AK 1,290 7.26 1.57 $33.09 $68,820
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 5,250 5.14 1.11 $32.84 $68,310
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 28,620 4.42 0.95 $32.53 $67,650
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 1,210 10.74 2.32 $31.79 $66,130
Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division 1,570 6.23 1.34 $31.75 $66,040
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division 6,910 3.92 0.85 $31.66 $65,850
Napa, CA 880 12.49 2.70 $31.54 $65,600
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 690 9.68 2.09 $31.29 $65,070

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 1,820 9.73 2.10 $18.92 $39,350
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 1,710 5.21 1.12 $17.69 $36,790
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 1,700 9.00 1.94 $18.78 $39,060
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,550 12.08 2.61 $21.41 $44,530
Southern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area 1,340 7.04 1.52 $19.33 $40,210

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area 1,090 17.49 3.77 $16.73 $34,790
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 310 17.39 3.75 $30.63 $63,700
Garrett County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 180 16.80 3.63 $12.97 $26,980
Northwest Washington nonmetropolitan area 770 15.77 3.40 $24.25 $50,430
Southwest Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 930 15.03 3.24 $24.03 $49,990

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 370 10.22 2.21 $32.90 $68,440
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 640 8.39 1.81 $32.84 $68,300
Connecticut nonmetropolitan area 350 10.28 2.22 $32.65 $67,910
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 550 5.82 1.26 $31.17 $64,830
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 310 17.39 3.75 $30.63 $63,700


About May 2015 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2015 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2015 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 30, 2016