Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2016

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)
676,980 0.8 % $23.24 $48,340 0.4 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.02 $16.24 $20.96 $28.22 $38.21
Annual Wage (2) $27,070 $33,770 $43,600 $58,700 $79,480


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 205,510 28.73 $21.83 $45,420
Nonresidential Building Construction 118,680 15.65 $25.32 $52,670
Building Finishing Contractors 110,510 14.42 $24.22 $50,370
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 87,990 10.41 $21.68 $45,090
Other Specialty Trade Contractors 18,140 2.83 $24.55 $51,070

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 205,510 28.73 $21.83 $45,420
Nonresidential Building Construction 118,680 15.65 $25.32 $52,670
Building Finishing Contractors 110,510 14.42 $24.22 $50,370
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors 87,990 10.41 $21.68 $45,090
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction 6,250 5.64 $27.32 $56,820

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Natural Gas Distribution 30 0.03 $41.00 $85,290
Lessors of Real Estate 2,910 0.50 $35.45 $73,730
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 70 0.02 $33.68 $70,060
Electronics and Appliance Stores 50 0.01 $31.78 $66,110
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals 80 0.03 $31.77 $66,070


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 91,780 5.75 1.19 $26.82 $55,780
New York 48,220 5.30 1.10 $29.76 $61,900
Florida 41,610 5.06 1.05 $18.84 $39,190
Texas 36,870 3.14 0.65 $18.27 $38,000
Pennsylvania 30,620 5.33 1.11 $23.37 $48,600




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 3,030 10.98 2.28 $22.60 $47,000
Vermont 3,130 10.28 2.13 $21.48 $44,670
South Dakota 4,110 9.84 2.04 $16.81 $34,950
Montana 4,270 9.39 1.95 $19.41 $40,360
Nebraska 7,940 8.21 1.70 $17.71 $36,840




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 2,350 7.27 1.51 $33.64 $69,970
Hawaii 5,190 8.21 1.70 $33.15 $68,960
Illinois 24,720 4.19 0.87 $29.99 $62,380
New York 48,220 5.30 1.10 $29.76 $61,900
New Jersey 16,840 4.26 0.88 $29.03 $60,380





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 29,600 4.49 0.93 $33.16 $68,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 15,520 3.68 0.76 $25.94 $53,950
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 13,760 3.78 0.78 $32.61 $67,830
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 12,900 9.47 1.96 $23.21 $48,270
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 12,500 7.87 1.63 $28.93 $60,170
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 11,450 4.48 0.93 $20.60 $42,850
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 11,280 3.84 0.80 $19.42 $40,390
Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division 10,720 8.33 1.73 $30.74 $63,950
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 10,020 4.02 0.83 $23.26 $48,390
Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 9,600 6.14 1.27 $25.37 $52,770




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)
Coeur d'Alene, ID 860 14.76 3.06 $18.44 $38,360
Napa, CA 1,000 14.12 2.93 $34.22 $71,180
Rapid City, SD 880 13.48 2.79 $17.18 $35,730
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 1,500 13.47 2.79 $31.98 $66,520
Bend-Redmond, OR 970 12.95 2.69 $19.17 $39,870
Lake Charles, LA 1,280 12.47 2.59 $21.44 $44,600
Lancaster, PA 2,920 12.45 2.58 $18.75 $39,010
Ocean City, NJ 460 11.86 2.46 $22.83 $47,480
Barnstable Town, MA 1,120 10.94 2.27 $24.66 $51,290
Billings, MT 920 10.67 2.21 $20.79 $43,250




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)
Urban Honolulu, HI 3,470 7.51 1.56 $34.36 $71,460
San Francisco-Redwood City-South San Francisco, CA Metropolitan Division 6,660 6.24 1.29 $34.25 $71,240
Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division 1,600 6.48 1.34 $34.25 $71,240
Napa, CA 1,000 14.12 2.93 $34.22 $71,180
Anchorage, AK 1,130 6.42 1.33 $33.18 $69,020
New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 29,600 4.49 0.93 $33.16 $68,980
Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI 770 10.54 2.19 $32.83 $68,290
Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division 13,760 3.78 0.78 $32.61 $67,830
Santa Rosa, CA 1,680 8.70 1.80 $32.60 $67,810
San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division 1,500 13.47 2.79 $31.98 $66,520

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 1,720 9.16 1.90 $19.07 $39,670
Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area 1,660 8.72 1.81 $19.04 $39,610
North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) 1,520 4.59 0.95 $19.78 $41,140
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 1,460 11.04 2.29 $18.75 $39,000
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 1,410 13.10 2.72 $22.10 $45,970

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)
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 320 18.44 3.82 $30.61 $63,660
Southwest Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 1,020 16.87 3.50 $24.95 $51,890
Garrett County, Maryland nonmetropolitan area 170 15.85 3.29 $13.18 $27,410
Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 580 13.65 2.83 $24.83 $51,650
Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area 1,410 13.10 2.72 $22.10 $45,970

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 390 11.18 2.32 $35.98 $74,840
Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area 580 7.90 1.64 $34.17 $71,070
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 320 18.44 3.82 $30.61 $63,660
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 950 9.80 2.03 $29.02 $60,350
North Valley Region of California nonmetropolitan area 80 2.61 0.54 $28.86 $60,030


About May 2016 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 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2016 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017