Starting Salaries

• The average salary for carpenters nationwide was $43,890 per year or about $21.10 per hour, as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, this salary was indicative of those with all levels of experience in the carpentry field and not just those starting out in the field. Starting salaries tend to be toward the lower end of the pay scale. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the lower 25 percent of those working in this field made $30,710 or less per year or about $14.76 per hour. Those in the lower 10 percent of the pay scale made $24,650 or less -- approximately $11.85 on an hourly basis.
  
  

Earning Potential

• The amount of money earned by those in the carpentry field can go significantly higher than the amount earned by those just starting out in the field. According to the BLS, the median salary for those working in this field was $39,530 or about $19.00 per hour. The upper 25 percent of those working in the carpentry field made salaries of $53,880 or more per year. The highest paid carpenters brought home salaries of more than $71,660 on an annual basis.
  
  

Industry

• The specific industry in which the carpenter works plays a role in how much the carpenter can expect to make. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest paid carpenters worked in the electrical power field, making nearly $63,000 per year in 2010. By comparison, the largest group of carpenters made $41,000 per year in the residential building construction field. Nonresidential building construction carpenters made more at about $48,000 on an annual basis. Finishing contractors generally made a little less at about $46,000 per year. Carpenters working in the movie industry made approximately $61,000 annually.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects job growth of approximately 13 percent from 2008 to 2018 for those in the carpentry field. The bureau indicates that continued population growth and the growth of the economy will result in the need for more building structures to accommodate people and businesses. Carpenters will be in high demand as a result and will enjoy decent job prospects throughout this period of time.