Salaries / Carpenter
Skilled Trades · SOC 47-2031
Carpenter salary
Carpenters build and repair building frameworks and structures, from framing to finish work.
Washington · 2025
Median annual (WA)
$74,190
Median hourly (WA)
$35.67
Typical range (WA)
$52,330 to $119,920
Washington source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025.
National
Median annual
$56,000
Median hourly
$26.90
Typical range
$37,000 to $98,000
National source: National estimate (to be replaced by live BLS data). Figures are gross pay and vary by location, employer, and experience.
The pay range, visually.
Low end (about the 10th percentile), median, and high end (about the 90th percentile).
By state, at a glance
These at-a-glance figures are estimates derived from the national median and a state wage index, shown to give a rough sense of local differences. Pick any state (here or in the selector above) to look up its real figures.
Your skills are a business
Ideas we have for people in skilled trades.
The same experience that earns a paycheck as a carpenter can start a business. Here are real ideas from our marketplace that fit this field.
Start a Home Remodeling Business
Run residential renovation projects (kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, whole-home remodels) either doing the skilled work yourself or acting as the general contractor who manages licensed subs, the client, and the margin. Homeowners who cannot afford to move renovate instead, which keeps demand steady in almost every market.
Start a Bathroom Remodeling Company
Specialize exclusively in bathroom renovations (tile, showers, tubs, vanities, lighting, fixtures) and out-execute generalist contractors with faster quotes, standardized workflows, and a portfolio buyers instantly understand. Bathrooms are one of the two rooms homeowners most want redone, and the focused specialist closes them faster.
Start a Tiny Home Building Company
Design and build tiny homes, on wheels or on foundations, sold as starter residences, ADUs, vacation cabins, and short-term rental units. Housing affordability keeps demand structural rather than trendy, and the zoning complexity that scares most builders away is the moat for the ones who master it.
Start a Custom Carpentry and Renovation Business
Take on custom builds, trim work, and renovations directly for homeowners instead of earning a wage on someone else's jobs.
You could hire carpenters, not just be one.
We have a staffing calculator to price the work and a full course on how to start a staffing agency, so you can turn a field you already know into a business that puts other people to work.