Trade · ONET 47-2031.00
Carpenter
Frames, finishes, and builds structures from wood, steel, and composite materials.
What the work looks like
Carpentry splits into several specialties. Framers set sill plates, walls, floor systems, and roof structures. Finish carpenters install trim, doors, cabinets, and stairs. Concrete formwork carpenters build the structures that hold poured concrete. Commercial carpenters build tenant improvements, metal-stud partitions, and acoustical ceilings. A typical day mixes layout, cutting, fastening, and cleanup.
Physical demands
- Lifting and carrying lumber and sheet goods
- Repetitive hammering, nailing, and cutting
- Working at heights on framing jobs
- Hand and wrist stress (saws, drills, routers)
Common tools
- Framing hammer and framing nailer
- Speed square, chalk line, level
- Circular saw and miter saw
- Laser level
- Cordless drill and impact driver
- Finish nailer and compressor
Union and non-union paths
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) runs apprenticeship programs in most major metro areas. Non-union carpenters often work for general contractors or specialty subcontractors and learn on the job. Most states do not license carpenters directly; general contractor licensure applies above a dollar threshold.
How to enter
Entry routes include UBC apprenticeship, trade school programs, and direct hire as a helper. OSHA 10 is a common first credential. Certifications for scaffold, forklift, and aerial lift operation open up commercial job sites.
Specialty paths in this trade
Most states license one carpenter classification, but the work splits into distinct paths with different schedules, tools, and wage schedules. Read before choosing a program.
Rough / Framing Carpenter
The structural side of the trade. Framers build the skeleton: floor systems, walls, roof trusses or stick-framed rafters, stairs, and sheathing. Residential tracts, custom homes, and light commercial wood-frame buildings are the core markets.
Typical scope
- Sill plates, shear walls, and floor systems
- Wall layout, stud packs, headers, and sheathing
- Roof framing, truss setting, and fascia
- Stair stringers and rough stair framing
Entry: UBC apprenticeship (typically 4 years, ~6,400 to 8,000 OJT hours under DOL registered-apprenticeship standards) or direct-hire framing crew with on-the-job progression. ABC and non-union contractor programs run similar lengths.
Wage note: Framing pay is often piece-rate on production tract work and hourly on custom and commercial. Ask which structure applies before signing on.
Finish / Trim Carpenter
Interior finish work: base, casing, crown, doors, built-ins, cabinets, and stairs. Tolerances are tighter than framing, often measured in 1/32 inch, and the tool set shifts to miter saws, routers, and finish nailers.
Typical scope
- Door hanging, casing, and base
- Crown molding and coffered ceilings
- Cabinet install and built-ins
- Finish stair treads, risers, skirts, and railings
Entry: UBC millwright / interior-systems apprenticeship, or a framing-to-finish progression under a residential or remodeling contractor. Finish work rewards pattern recognition; most finish carpenters came up through framing first.
Wage note: Finish rates commonly sit above framing rates for comparable experience, particularly on custom residential. Cabinet-install and stair specialists often price by the job.
Concrete Formsetter
Building the forms that hold poured concrete: footings, walls, columns, slabs, and decks. Commercial and civil work lean heavily on gang forms, handset aluminum, and engineered systems (Symons, Peri, Doka). Formsetters coordinate closely with rebar, embeds, and concrete finishers.
Typical scope
- Footings, grade beams, and foundation walls
- Column and wall gang-form setup and stripping
- Deck forming with shoring and reshoring
- Embeds, anchor bolts, and blockouts per structural drawings
Entry: UBC carpenter apprenticeship with formwork rotation, or direct hire with a concrete-forming contractor. OSHA 30 and scaffold competent-person training are commonly requested once crews move to deck and shoring work.
Wage note: Commercial form-crew pay typically tracks the inside-commercial UBC schedule; prevailing-wage and highway/bridge work often sit above private-commercial rates.
Commercial Interior Systems (Drywall / ACT)
Light-gauge metal-stud framing, drywall hanging, and acoustical ceiling tile (ACT) systems for tenant build-outs, schools, hospitals, and office floors. A core UBC classification in most urban councils and a major share of commercial carpenter hours.
Typical scope
- Layout and metal-stud partition framing
- Soffits, bulkheads, and ceiling grid
- Drywall hanging and fire-rated assemblies
- Acoustical ceiling tile grid and tile set
Entry: UBC interior-systems apprenticeship or non-union interior-systems contractor progression. Healthcare and lab buildouts commonly require ICRA infection-control training on top of base journeyman status.
Wage note: Interior-systems wage schedules in UBC councils typically mirror general carpenter schedules. Healthcare premiums and night-shift differentials are common on occupied-facility work.
Scaffold Erector
Erecting, altering, and dismantling frame, system, and suspended scaffolds on commercial, industrial, and refinery work. A distinct specialty in UBC and in industrial contractor programs, with its own credentialing track and fall-protection requirements.
Typical scope
- Frame and system scaffold erection to OSHA and manufacturer specs
- Suspended (swing-stage) scaffold setup and anchor review
- Shoring and reshoring for concrete decks
- Daily inspection and tagging under a competent-person program
Entry: UBC scaffold erector training or industrial-contractor scaffold program. OSHA 10 or 30, UBC Scaffold User / Erector, and competent-person credentials are standard. Refinery and turnaround work commonly also requires TWIC and site-specific orientation.
Wage note: Industrial and refinery scaffold pay often sits above commercial carpentry schedules, with per-diem and turnaround overtime on shutdown cycles.
Residential, commercial, industrial
Carpentry bends more with the sector than most trades. Residential and commercial use different materials, different crews, and different credentialing. Industrial adds formwork and scaffold as core scope.
Residential
Remodels, additions, and new-home work. Wood framing, finish, cabinets, stairs, and trim dominate. Smaller crews, more homeowner contact, and shorter project cycles. EPA RRP certification is required on pre-1978 housing and is commonly the first credential a residential remodeler earns.
Commercial
Tenant build-outs, schools, hospitals, hotels, and office floors. Concrete formwork, metal-stud framing, drywall, and acoustical ceilings dominate. Larger crews, OSHA 30 and ICRA credentials are common on healthcare and lab work, and overtime clusters around schedule-driven phases.
Industrial
Refineries, power plants, data centers, and heavy civil. Formwork and scaffold are the core carpenter scope; shutdown and turnaround schedules drive long OT stretches followed by slower periods. TWIC, site orientation, and competent-person credentials are common entry requirements.
Certifications that unlock premium work
Credentials beyond the state license. Each one opens a specific segment of work where the qualified pool is smaller.
OSHA 10 / OSHA 30 Construction ↗
OSHA 10 is the baseline site-access credential for most commercial carpentry work; OSHA 30 is commonly required for foremen, leads, and anyone overseeing others. Several states (NY, CT, MO, NV, among others) mandate OSHA 10 or 30 for public-works sites.
Issuer: OSHA-authorized outreach trainers
UBC Scaffold User / Erector ↗
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters' scaffold training covers user-level and erector-level qualifications under OSHA 1926 Subpart L. Commonly requested on commercial, industrial, and refinery sites that run scaffold under a competent-person program.
Issuer: United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) International Training Center
ICRA (Infection Control Risk Assessment) Awareness ↗
Required for carpenters working in occupied healthcare facilities. Covers containment, negative-pressure setups, and ICRA class protocols for hospital renovations. UBC offers an ICRA Awareness 8-hour and a 24-hour track; many hospital systems will not badge a carpenter onto a renovation floor without it.
Issuer: UBC and accredited healthcare-construction trainers
ASSP / Fall Protection Competent Person ↗
Fall protection is the leading OSHA citation in construction. A competent-person credential is required on any site with active fall hazards above 6 feet and is commonly requested of foremen and safety leads on commercial carpentry crews.
Issuer: American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) and accredited providers
Lead Carpenter (NAHB CAPS) ↗
The NAHB Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) credential is commonly paired with lead-carpenter scope on residential remodels: accessibility design, aging-in-place retrofits, and universal-design standards. Useful for remodelers taking on ADA and aging-in-place work.
Issuer: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
Certified Lead Renovator (EPA RRP) ↗
Required under the EPA Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule for any paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities. One certified renovator per firm is the federal floor; some states (MA, RI, NC, among others) run parallel programs with stricter rules.
Issuer: US EPA and authorized state programs
Tool and equipment investment
Apprentice, year 1
$200 to $600 for the starter belt: 25-foot tape, framing hammer, speed square, utility knife, chalk line, pencils, cat's paw, torpedo level, and a basic tool pouch. Most UBC programs issue a starter kit; check what's supplied before buying.
Journey level
$2,500 to $7,000 over time for a journey kit: cordless nail guns (framing, finish, brad), 10" or 12" sliding miter saw, track saw or worm-drive circ, cordless drill/driver set, laser level, and specialty jigs. Finish carpenters tend to spend at the top of the range.
Going independent
$35,000 to $90,000 for a work truck or van, miter-saw station, trailer, generator, compressor, scaffold or ladders, and a small inventory of fasteners and stock. Form-crew and deck-building owners sit at the top of the range due to form rental deposits and truck-mounted equipment.
UBC signatory contractors typically supply larger gear (scaffold, lifts, heavy saws) and shop tools. Ask during hiring which tools come out of your pocket versus the employer's.
Wages
National median
$59,310
annual, all workers
National mean
$64,040
annual, all workers
By pilot state
BLS OOH tracks carpenters as a single occupation across specialties. Regional demand follows new residential construction, commercial buildout, and infrastructure projects.
BLS OES 47-2031 by-state data shown on this page is statewide median and mean, all-worker, across framing, finish, formwork, and interior systems. UBC coverage varies sharply by region: dense urban councils (NYC, Chicago, SF Bay, Seattle, Las Vegas) push commercial wages well above statewide medians, while many Southeast and Mountain-West metros run majority-open-shop with wages set per contractor. Check the BLS OES metropolitan tables and the local UBC council schedule for your target area before relocating. Source: BLS OES by area, https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm.