U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHelp carpenters by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment. Construction laborers who do not primarily assist carpenters are classified under "Construction Laborers" (47-2061). Apprentice workers are classified with the appropriate skilled construction trade occupation (47-2011 through 47-2231).
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35,870 | 2.9 % | $13.09 | $27,230 | 1.0 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $8.72 | $10.11 | $12.29 | $15.39 | $18.18 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $18,130 | $21,020 | $25,550 | $32,000 | $37,820 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Building Construction | 14,610 | 2.56 | $13.17 | $27,400 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 6,480 | 0.99 | $13.98 | $29,070 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 5,030 | 0.80 | $12.49 | $25,980 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 3,630 | 0.53 | $11.94 | $24,830 |
| Employment Services | 770 | 0.02 | $13.42 | $27,920 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential Building Construction | 14,610 | 2.56 | $13.17 | $27,400 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 6,480 | 0.99 | $13.98 | $29,070 |
| Building Finishing Contractors | 5,030 | 0.80 | $12.49 | $25,980 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 3,630 | 0.53 | $11.94 | $24,830 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 440 | 0.23 | $11.88 | $24,720 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events | 60 | 0.06 | $17.72 | $36,850 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | 580 | 0.19 | $16.41 | $34,140 |
| Rail Transportation | 60 | 0.03 | $15.81 | $32,890 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 60 | (7) | $14.98 | $31,160 |
| Utility System Construction | 680 | 0.16 | $14.13 | $29,400 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 3,610 | 0.42 | 1.53 | $13.22 | $27,500 |
| Texas | 2,880 | 0.27 | 0.99 | $12.67 | $26,340 |
| California | 2,530 | 0.18 | 0.64 | $15.66 | $32,580 |
| Virginia | 2,250 | 0.63 | 2.27 | $12.18 | $25,330 |
| Louisiana | 1,590 | 0.85 | 3.09 | $11.43 | $23,780 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | 620 | 1.56 | 5.65 | $9.81 | $20,390 |
| Montana | 460 | 1.07 | 3.88 | $12.78 | $26,580 |
| New Mexico | 690 | 0.89 | 3.23 | $13.14 | $27,320 |
| Louisiana | 1,590 | 0.85 | 3.09 | $11.43 | $23,780 |
| Vermont | 240 | 0.81 | 2.93 | $13.96 | $29,030 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 440 | 0.75 | 2.72 | $22.46 | $46,710 |
| Rhode Island | 100 | 0.22 | 0.81 | $18.70 | $38,900 |
| Massachusetts | 1,220 | 0.38 | 1.38 | $17.72 | $36,850 |
| Missouri | 320 | 0.12 | 0.44 | $16.04 | $33,370 |
| Alaska | 150 | 0.47 | 1.70 | $15.91 | $33,100 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 1,400 | 0.27 | 0.99 | $15.06 | $31,320 |
| Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX | 1,050 | 0.40 | 1.45 | $12.41 | $25,810 |
| Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division | 910 | 0.74 | 2.69 | $13.20 | $27,450 |
| Baltimore-Towson, MD | 830 | 0.66 | 2.40 | $11.22 | $23,340 |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC | 680 | 0.95 | 3.44 | $11.54 | $24,010 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 630 | 0.27 | 0.98 | $13.42 | $27,910 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 590 | 0.28 | 1.02 | $12.68 | $26,370 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 580 | 0.34 | 1.22 | $18.82 | $39,150 |
| Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division | 510 | 0.14 | 0.51 | $13.20 | $27,450 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 500 | 1.38 | 5.01 | $12.61 | $26,230 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pascagoula, MS | 130 | 2.38 | 8.63 | $15.16 | $31,540 |
| Bismarck, ND | 140 | 2.17 | 7.90 | $13.88 | $28,880 |
| Rapid City, SD | 120 | 1.95 | 7.09 | $11.00 | $22,870 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 120 | 1.75 | 6.36 | $9.82 | $20,420 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 230 | 1.65 | 5.99 | $9.15 | $19,040 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 140 | 1.44 | 5.22 | $16.44 | $34,190 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 500 | 1.38 | 5.01 | $12.61 | $26,230 |
| Alexandria, LA | 80 | 1.35 | 4.92 | $9.98 | $20,750 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 100 | 1.18 | 4.27 | $13.12 | $27,290 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 110 | 1.16 | 4.22 | $12.98 | $27,000 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $31.68 | $65,900 |
| Honolulu, HI | 360 | 0.83 | 3.01 | $24.34 | $50,620 |
| Springfield, MO | 50 | 0.24 | 0.88 | $19.48 | $40,520 |
| Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA | 90 | 0.16 | 0.59 | $19.38 | $40,320 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 120 | 0.13 | 0.47 | $19.15 | $39,830 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 120 | 0.08 | 0.30 | $19.14 | $39,810 |
| Haverhill-North Andover-Amesbury, MA-NH NECTA Division | (8) | (8) | (8) | $19.10 | $39,730 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division | 580 | 0.34 | 1.22 | $18.82 | $39,150 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 40 | 0.48 | 1.73 | $17.83 | $37,090 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 90 | 0.56 | 2.03 | $17.64 | $36,700 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 2.49 | 9.05 | $12.10 | $25,170 |
| Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.04 | 3.80 | $10.49 | $21,820 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.81 | 2.93 | $13.97 | $29,060 |
| Central New York nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 1.23 | 4.48 | $10.30 | $21,410 |
| Eastern South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 1.09 | 3.97 | $10.65 | $22,150 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 170 | 2.49 | 9.05 | $12.10 | $25,170 |
| Central South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 70 | 2.22 | 8.05 | $8.58 | $17,850 |
| East Central North Dakota | 70 | 1.69 | 6.14 | $11.46 | $23,830 |
| Western South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.50 | 5.45 | $9.78 | $20,340 |
| Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 1.43 | 5.21 | $14.47 | $30,110 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $25.42 | $52,860 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.91 | $33,100 |
| Low Country South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.91 | $33,090 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $15.36 | $31,950 |
| Southeastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | 50 | 1.25 | 4.55 | $14.93 | $31,060 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2012 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2012 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 29, 2013
