Carpenters

Summary

Carpenters often install roof joists.

Quick Facts: Carpenters
2010 Median Pay	$39,530 per year $19.00 per hour
Entry-Level Education	High school diploma or equivalent
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Apprenticeship
Number of Jobs, 2010	1,001,700
Job Outlook, 2010-20	20% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	196,000

What Carpenters Do

Carpenters construct and repair building frameworks and structures—such as stairways, doorframes, partitions, and rafters—made from wood and other materials. They also may install kitchen cabinets, siding, and drywall.

Work Environment

Because carpenters are involved in many types of construction, from building highways and bridges to installing kitchen cabinets, they may work both indoors and out. The work is sometimes strenuous, and carpenters experience a higher than average rate of injuries and illnesses.

How to Become a Carpenter

Although most carpenters learn their trade through a formal apprenticeship, some learn on the job, starting as a helper.

Pay

The median annual wage of carpenters was $39,530 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of carpenters is projected to grow 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects for carpenters should improve over the decade as construction activity rebounds from the recent recession.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of carpenters with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about carpenters by contacting these additional resources.

What Carpenters Do About this section

Carpenters work with many different types of tools.

Carpenters construct and repair building frameworks and structures—such as stairways, doorframes, partitions, and rafters—made from wood and other materials. They also may install kitchen cabinets, siding, and drywall.

Duties

Carpenters typically do the following:

• Follow blueprints and building plans to meet the needs of clients
• Install structures and fixtures, such as windows and molding
• Measure, cut, or shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, drywall, and other materials
• Construct building frameworks, including wall studs, floor joists, and doorframes
• Help put up, level, and install building framework with the aid of large pulleys and cranes
• Inspect and replace damaged framework or other structures and fixtures
• Instruct and direct laborers and other construction trade helpers

Carpenters are one of the most versatile construction occupations, with workers usually doing a variety of tasks. For example, some carpenters insulate office buildings; others install drywall or kitchen cabinets in homes. Those who help construct large buildings or bridges often make the wooden concrete forms for cement footings or pillars. Some carpenters build braces and scaffolding for buildings.

Carpenters use many different hand and power tools to cut and shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, or drywall. They commonly use handtools, including squares, levels, and chisels, as well as many power tools, such as sanders, circular saws, and nail guns. Carpenters put materials together with nails, screws, staples, and adhesives, and do a final check of their work to ensure accuracy. They use a tape measure on every project because proper measuring increases productivity, reduces waste, and ensures that the pieces being cut are the proper size.

The following are types of carpenters:

Residential carpenters typically specialize in new-home, townhome, and condominium building and remodeling. As part of a single job, they might build and set forms for footings, walls and slabs, and frame and finish exterior walls, roofs, and decks. They frame interior walls, build stairs, and install drywall, crown molding, doors, and kitchen cabinets. Highly-skilled carpenters may also tile floors and lay wood floors and carpet. Fully-trained construction carpenters are easily able to switch from new-home building to remodeling.

Commercial carpenters typically remodel and help build commercial office buildings, hospitals, hotels, schools, and shopping malls. Some specialize in working with light gauge and load-bearing steel framing for interior partitions, exterior framing, and curtain wall construction. Others specialize in working with concrete forming systems and finishing interior and exterior walls, partitions, and ceilings. Highly skilled carpenters can usually do many of the same tasks as residential carpenters.

Industrial carpenters typically work in civil and industrial settings where they put up scaffolding and build and set forms for pouring concrete. Some industrial carpenters build tunnel bracing or partitions in underground passageways and mines to control the circulation of air to worksites. Others build concrete forms for tunnels, bridges, dams, power plants, or sewer construction projects.

Work Environment About this section

Carpenters often frame doors.

Carpenters held about 1 million jobs in 2010; about 39 percent were self-employed. Most carpenters work in the construction industry, where they account for the largest share of the building trades occupations. 

Because carpenters are involved in many types of construction, from building highways and bridges to installing kitchen cabinets, they may work both indoors and out.

Carpenters may work in cramped spaces, and constant lifting, standing, and kneeling can be tiring. Those who work outdoors are subject to variable weather conditions.

Injuries

Carpenters experience a higher than average rate of injuries and illnesses. Injuries may include muscle strains from lifting heavy materials, falls from ladders, and cuts from sharp objects and tools.

Work Schedules

Nearly all carpenters work full time, which may include working evenings and weekends. Overtime is common in order to meet deadlines.

About 39 percent of carpenters were self-employed in 2010. Self-employed workers may be able to set their own schedule.

How to Become a Carpenter About this section

Apprentice carpenters learn by working with more experienced coworkers.

Although most carpenters learn their trade through a formal apprenticeship, some learn on the job, starting as a helper.

Apprenticeship

Most carpenters learn their trade through a 3- or 4-year apprenticeship. For each year of the program, apprentices must complete at least 144 hours of paid technical training and 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. In the technical training, apprentices learn carpentry basics, blueprint reading, mathematics, building code requirements, and safety and first-aid practices. They also may receive specialized training in concrete, rigging, scaffold building, fall protection, confined workspaces, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10- and 30-hour safety courses. 

After finishing an apprenticeship, carpenters are considered to be journey workers and may do tasks on their own.

Several groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs. The basic qualifications for a person to enter an apprenticeship program are as follows:

• Minimum age of 18
• High school education or equivalent
• Physically able to do the work
• U.S. citizen or proof of legal residency  
• Pass substance abuse screening

Some contractors have their own carpenter training program. Although many workers enter apprenticeships directly, some start out as helpers.

Education

Some 2-year technical schools offer carpentry degrees that are affiliated with unions and contractor organizations. Credits earned as part of an apprenticeship program usually count toward an associate’s degree.

Advancement

Because they are exposed to the entire construction process, carpenters usually have more opportunities than other construction workers to become general construction supervisors or independent contractors. For those who would like to advance, it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish to relay instructions to workers.

Important Qualities

Detail oriented. Carpenters do many tasks that are important in the overall building process. Making precise measurements, for example, may reduce air gaps between windows and frames, limiting any leaks around the window.

Manual dexterity. Carpenters use many handtools and need eye-hand coordination to avoid injury. Striking the head of a nail, for example, is crucial to not damaging wood.

Math skills. Carpenters use basic math skills every day. They need to be able to calculate volume and measure materials to be cut.

Physical strength. Many of the tools and materials that carpenters use are heavy. For example, plywood sheets can weigh 50 to 100 pounds.

Problem-solving skills. Because all construction jobs vary, carpenters must adjust project plans accordingly. For example, they may have to use wedges to level cabinets in homes that have settled and are slightly sloping.

Stamina. Carpenters need physical endurance. They often must lift tools and wood while standing, climbing, bending, or kneeling for long periods.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of carpenters was $39,530 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,650, and the top 10 percent earned more than $71,660.

The starting pay for apprentices usually is between 30 percent and 50 percent of what fully trained carpenters make. As they gain more skill, they receive pay increases.

Nearly all carpenters work full time, which may include working evenings and weekends. Overtime is common in order to meet deadlines.

About 39 percent of carpenters were self-employed in 2010. Self-employed workers may be able to set their own schedule.

About 16 percent of carpenters are union members. Although there is no single union, the largest organizer for carpenters is the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of carpenters is projected to grow 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Population growth should result in new-home construction—the largest segment employing carpenters—which will stimulate the need for many new workers. Demand for carpenters is expected to be driven by home remodeling needs as well. 

The need to repair and replace roads and bridges also will spur some employment growth for carpenters. Much of this growth, however, depends on spending by federal and state governments as they attempt to upgrade existing infrastructure.  

Construction of factories and powerplants also may result in some new jobs.

Offsetting growth, however, will be the increasing use of modular and prefabricated components. Roof assemblies, walls, stairs, and complete bathrooms are just a few of the prefabricated components that can be manufactured in a separate plant and then assembled onsite by carpenters. The prefabricated components replace the most labor intensive and time consuming onsite building activities.

Job Prospects

Overall job prospects for carpenters should improve over the coming decade as construction activity rebounds from the recent recession.

The number of openings is expected to vary by geographic area. Because construction activity parallels the movement of people and businesses, areas of the country with the largest population increases will require the most carpenters.

Employment of carpenters, like that of many other construction workers, is sensitive to fluctuations in the economy. On the one hand, workers in these trades may experience periods of unemployment when the overall level of construction falls. On the other hand, peak periods of building activity may produce shortages of carpenters. Experienced carpenters should have the best job opportunities.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For details about apprenticeships or other work opportunities in this trade, contact the offices of the state employment service, the state apprenticeship agency, local contractors or firms that employ carpenters, or local union-management carpenter apprenticeship committees. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor's toll-free help line, 1 (877) 872-5627, and Employment and Training Administration.

For more information about carpenters, including training opportunities, visit

Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.

Associated General Contractors of America, Inc.

National Center for Construction Education and Research

National Association of Home Builders

United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Carpenters Training Fund