Carpenters
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, 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.
- O*NET-SOC code
47-2031.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$60,580
Employment, U.S.670,090
Median hourly wage$29.12
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,410 | $48,510 | $60,580 | $76,830 | $99,910 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 5,560 | $48,220 | 0.61 |
| Alaska | 2,560 | $73,860 | 1.82 |
| Arizona | 16,230 | $58,580 | 1.16 |
| Arkansas | 4,030 | $47,760 | 0.72 |
| California | 100,750 | $75,920 | 1.28 |
| Colorado | 12,740 | $62,830 | 1.03 |
| Connecticut | 5,160 | $64,060 | 0.71 |
| Delaware | 2,250 | $59,200 | 1.08 |
| District of Columbia | 1,540 | $61,710 | 0.51 |
| Florida | 39,300 | $49,870 | 0.92 |
| Georgia | 9,190 | $49,350 | 0.44 |
| Hawaii | 4,810 | $85,280 | 1.78 |
| Idaho | 8,380 | $52,000 | 2.27 |
| Illinois | 19,570 | $79,000 | 0.74 |
| Indiana | 15,240 | $62,870 | 1.10 |
| Iowa | 5,770 | $57,710 | 0.86 |
| Kansas | 5,210 | $56,960 | 0.84 |
| Kentucky | 8,540 | $52,680 | 0.99 |
| Louisiana | 8,990 | $49,920 | 1.08 |
| Maine | 5,170 | $62,160 | 1.87 |
| Maryland | 9,770 | $62,960 | 0.82 |
| Massachusetts | 18,540 | $75,200 | 1.18 |
| Michigan | 18,590 | $61,680 | 0.98 |
| Minnesota | 14,930 | $64,930 | 1.17 |
| Mississippi | 2,950 | $48,650 | 0.59 |
| Missouri | 14,410 | $60,840 | 1.14 |
| Montana | 4,030 | $58,820 | 1.83 |
| Nebraska | 5,710 | $50,320 | 1.29 |
| Nevada | 12,700 | $62,380 | 1.90 |
| New Hampshire | 3,760 | $61,200 | 1.28 |
| New Jersey | 14,230 | $64,010 | 0.77 |
| New Mexico | 3,630 | $59,720 | 0.97 |
| New York | 40,630 | $72,330 | 0.97 |
| North Carolina | 13,480 | $49,100 | 0.63 |
| North Dakota | 2,360 | $57,890 | 1.28 |
| Ohio | 18,450 | $60,810 | 0.77 |
| Oklahoma | 3,820 | $46,910 | 0.52 |
| Oregon | 15,110 | $62,870 | 1.78 |
| Pennsylvania | 30,630 | $59,370 | 1.17 |
| Rhode Island | 2,580 | $60,840 | 1.19 |
| South Carolina | 6,950 | $50,670 | 0.70 |
| South Dakota | 4,560 | $48,140 | 2.32 |
| Tennessee | 8,200 | $50,830 | 0.58 |
| Texas | 33,540 | $48,900 | 0.55 |
| Utah | 15,220 | $52,360 | 2.03 |
| Vermont | 3,080 | $62,400 | 2.35 |
| Virginia | 20,460 | $55,690 | 1.16 |
| Washington | 26,960 | $74,190 | 1.76 |
| West Virginia | 3,670 | $48,710 | 1.21 |
| Wisconsin | 13,880 | $61,660 | 1.09 |
| Wyoming | 2,260 | $56,850 | 1.87 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 3 | 0.976 |
| 2 | Sheet Metal Workers | 1-2 | 0.966 |
| 3 | Stonemasons | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 4 | Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 5 | Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 6 | Glaziers | 1-2 | 0.962 |
| 7 | Weatherization Installers and Technicians | 1-2 | 0.961 |
| 8 | Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 1-2 | 0.960 |
| 9 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 1-2 | 0.957 |
| 10 | Commercial Divers | 3 | 0.957 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Carpenters, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helpers--Electricians | Troubleshooting | 0.88 | 0.952 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | Equipment Maintenance | 1.00 | 0.936 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 1.13 | 0.936 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Carpenters, excluding software Carpenters already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Cost estimating software | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Salesforce software | 4 of 20 | 2.1x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 5 of 20 | 1.3x |
| SAP software | 4 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Microsoft Outlook | 7 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 5 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.38 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 3.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | not rated |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.62 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.38 | 0.75 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Building and Construction | 4.66 | 5.56 |
| Mathematics | 3.91 | 4.24 |
| Administration and Management | 3.91 | 3.83 |
| Design | 3.86 | 4.01 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.60 | 3.63 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.48 | 3.71 |
| Mechanical | 3.30 | 4.20 |
| Education and Training | 3.23 | 4.04 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.08 | 3.05 |
| Physics | 3.05 | 3.55 |
| English Language | 2.93 | 3.17 |
| Production and Processing | 2.90 | 2.72 |
| Transportation | 2.70 | 2.48 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.54 | 2.43 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.53 | 2.18 |
| Administrative | 2.52 | 2.61 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.33 | 1.67 |
| Telecommunications | 2.22 | 1.82 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.21 | 1.81 |
| Chemistry | 2.19 | 2.25 |
| Law and Government | 2.09 | 1.99 |
| Communications and Media | 2.05 | 2.00 |
| Psychology | 2.03 | 2.11 |
| Geography | 1.89 | 1.98 |
| Foreign Language | 1.75 | 1.19 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.65 | 1.23 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.63 | 1.36 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.60 | 1.01 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.59 | 1.11 |
| Food Production | 1.48 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.46 | 0.98 |
| Biology | 1.37 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.30 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Visualization | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.88 | 3.62 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Information Ordering | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Static Strength | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Far Vision | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reaction Time | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 3.00 | 2.62 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Response Orientation | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Written Expression | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Stamina | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Rate Control | 2.62 | 2.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Memorization | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Sound Localization | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.75 | 1.50 |
| Night Vision | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.62 | 0.88 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Intuit QuickBooks hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Bosch Punch List
- Craftsman CD Estimator
- Drawing and drafting software
- Estimating software
- Job costing software
- Quicken
- Renaissance MasterCarpenter
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
- VirtualBoss
- Web browser software
- Wilhelm Publishing Threshold
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable Town, MA | 1,280 | 3.15 | $70,580 |
| Bozeman, MT | 900 | 2.90 | $62,450 |
| St. George, UT | 1,110 | 2.85 | $47,060 |
| Rapid City, SD | 870 | 2.73 | $48,640 |
| Bend, OR | 1,180 | 2.53 | $61,640 |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 790 | 2.53 | $56,160 |
| Lancaster, PA | 2,750 | 2.53 | $55,690 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 2,150 | 2.43 | $80,520 |
| Boise City, ID | 4,080 | 2.42 | $50,850 |
| Bellingham, WA | 950 | 2.41 | $73,260 |