What is a carpentry and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
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There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a carpentry. For example, did you know that they make an average of $16.56 an hour? That's $34,448 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 20,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCarpentryUS Average
Salary
2.7

Avg. Salary $34,448

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
7.6

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
8.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.11%

Asian 1.60%

Black or African American 7.05%

Hispanic or Latino 23.33%

Unknown 4.65%

White 62.27%

Gender

female 6.69%

male 93.31%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress Level
7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.8

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Carpentry career paths

Key steps to become a carpentry

  1. Explore carpentry education requirements

    Most common carpentry degrees

    High School Diploma

    45.1 %

    Bachelor's

    18.5 %

    Associate

    17.0 %
  2. Start to develop specific carpentry skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Hand Tools16.50%
    Door Frames10.31%
    Roofing10.07%
    Plumbing8.15%
    Tape Measure7.95%
  3. Complete relevant carpentry training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New carpentries learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a carpentry based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real carpentry resumes.
  4. Research carpentry duties and responsibilities

    • Assist on daily tasks such painting, roofing, drywall, masonry, electrical wiring, plumbing installation and landscaping.
    • Assist in applying adhesives, caulking, sealants and coatings.
    • Perform demo work to existing foundations so new material can be laid down.
    • Job site set up, prep, prepping tools, demo, excavation and aid to head carpenter
  5. Prepare your carpentry resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your carpentry resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a carpentry resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Carpentry Resume templates

    Build a professional Carpentry resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Carpentry resume.
    Carpentry Resume
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    Carpentry Resume
  6. Apply for carpentry jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a carpentry job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Carpentry Job

Zippi

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Average carpentry salary

The average Carpentry salary in the United States is $34,448 per year or $17 per hour. Carpentry salaries range between $26,000 and $44,000 per year.

Average Carpentry Salary
$34,448 Yearly
$16.56 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do carpentries rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

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1 Star

Carpentry reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Seeing the finished product

Cons

I am a master carpenter. It’s hard sometimes waiting on materials to finish a job


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Livable wage

Cons

Travel expenses, working away from home, working in bad conditions


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

I enjoy building things with wood. The gratification of seeing things come together from bottom, to top, when building. From top to bottom when taking down. All the way from pouring the slab, to hanging pictures on the painted walls..

Cons

Rainy days, lazy Co workers,


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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