Pay Scale

• The average salary of all carpenters nationwide was $43,890 per year, as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the median salary for those working in this field was $39,530 per year, with the middle 50 percent of the pay scale making between $30,710 and $53,880 annually. The upper 10 percent of those working in this field was $71,660 or more, while those at the bottom end of the pay scale made $24,650 or less.
  
  

Employers

• Who the carpenter works for plays a role in determining how much he is paid. According to the BLS, the largest number of carpenters worked in the field of residential building construction and made an average salary of $41,010 per year in 2010. Those employed in non-residential building construction made $48,230 per year, while those in the finishing contractor industry averaged $45,850 per year. The highest average salary was earned by those in the electric power distribution industry. These carpenters made $62,730 per year, on average.
  
  

Location

• Geographic location also provides an indication of what carpenters can expect to make. According to the BLS, the largest number of carpenters worked in the state of California and earned an average salary of $54,600 per year in 2010. Those employed in New York averaged $53,340 per year, while those employed in the state of Texas made an average salary of $32,430. The highest paid carpenters worked in the state of Hawaii and made an average salary of $66,170 per year.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The number of jobs in the carpentry field should grow by about 13 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the BLS. The bureau indicates that population growth during that decade will necessitate more jobs for carpenters as more homes and other types of dwellings will need to be built to keep up with its housing and business needs.