Carpenters
What Carpenters Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Self-employed
- 26.8%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Building and Constructionimportance 4.7/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.9/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.9/5
- Designimportance 3.9/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.6/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.5/5
- Mechanicalimportance 3.3/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.7/5
- Spend Time Standing4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers94% skill match
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons94% skill match
- Tile and Stone Setters93% skill match
- Fence Erectors93% skill match
- Stonemasons93% skill match
- Carpet Installers92% skill match
- Surgical Technologists91% skill match
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers91% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Coordinationimportance 3.3/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 2.9/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Bosch Punch List
- Craftsman CD Estimator
- Drawing and drafting software
- Estimating software
- Job costing software
- Quicken
- Renaissance MasterCarpenter
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- ArtisticLow
- InvestigativeLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where carpenters make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Barnstable Town, MA3.15× national avg
- 2Bozeman, MT2.90× national avg
- 3St. George, UT2.85× national avg
- 4Rapid City, SD2.73× national avg
- 5Lancaster, PA2.53× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Brickmasons and BlockmasonsLateral Move
- Structural Iron and Steel WorkersLateral Move
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersLateral Move
- Helpers--CarpentersLateral Move
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.