# 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/carpenters
- SOC code: 47-2031.00
- Career family: Construction and extraction
- Median annual pay: $60,580 (10th percentile $40,410, 90th percentile $99,910)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +3.9%
- Openings a year: 62,800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 96 |
| Investigative (I) | 15 |
| Artistic (A) | 20 |
| Social (S) | 15 |
| Enterprising (E) | 13 |
| Conventional (C) | 41 |

## What you'd do

- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 80/100)
- Getting Information (importance 78/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 77/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 77/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 76/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 75/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 73/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 71/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 68/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 66/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Coordination, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Building and Construction, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Design, Engineering and Technology, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, Physics

## Also called

Aluminum Siding Applicator, Aluminum Siding Installer, Aluminum Siding Mechanic, Assembled Wood Products Repairer, Beam Builder, Boat Carpenter, Boat Carpenter Mechanic, Bowling Alley Floors Installer, Bracer, Brandisher

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Carpenters](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4602) (CIP 4602, 213 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Ivy Tech Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ivy-tech-community-college-1314) | Carpenters | $69,108 | $69,442 | $5,500 |
| [Ranken Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ranken-technical-college-2188) | Carpenters | not reported | $48,574 | $12,000 |
| [Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/thaddeus-stevens-college-of-technology-2715) | Carpenters | $40,393 | $46,433 | $11,000 |
| [SUNY College of Technology at Delhi](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suny-college-of-technology-at-delhi-2651) | Carpenters | not reported | $45,162 | $12,000 |

## Related careers

- [Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/drywall-and-ceiling-tile-installers): $58,930 median pay
- [Structural Iron and Steel Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/structural-iron-and-steel-workers): $62,780 median pay
- [Brickmasons and Blockmasons](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brickmasons-and-blockmasons): $62,120 median pay
- [Sheet Metal Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sheet-metal-workers): $61,800 median pay
- [Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/structural-metal-fabricators-and-fitters): $51,330 median pay
- [Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/cabinetmakers-and-bench-carpenters): $46,680 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.