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Carpenters
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.
Other titles employers use
Bridge Carpenter · Cabinet Maker · Carpenter · Concrete Carpenter · Construction Carpenter · Form Carpenter · Framer · Maintenance Carpenter
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
- Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
- Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue.
- Study specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required.
- Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
- Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to practical and organizing work.
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Subjects to know
- Building and Construction
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
Useful strengths
- Problem Sensitivity
- Visualization
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Near Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.9 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 4.6 | Standing or moving for most of it |
| Talking face to face | 4.9 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.1 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a high school diploma. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- High school or less 70%
- A certificate or some college 30%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Accounting software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Operating system software
- Project management software
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Information retrieval or search software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 154,200
- Job openings each year
- 13,400
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 9.3%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 154,200 | 13,400 | 9.3% |
| Florida | 73,970 | 6,560 | 12.9% |
| New York | 62,040 | 60 | — |
| Washington | 53,390 | 5,510 | 15.4% |
| Texas | 51,100 | 4,440 | 9.3% |
| Pennsylvania | 37,940 | 3,140 | 1.3% |
| Illinois | 30,150 | 2,490 | 1.3% |
| Michigan | 24,760 | 2,000 | −1.7% |
| Virginia | 24,260 | 2,070 | 5.8% |
| Minnesota | 23,540 | 1,990 | 4.4% |
| Ohio | 23,080 | 1,900 | 1.1% |
| Colorado | 22,720 | 2,010 | 12.1% |
| Oregon | 22,150 | 1,960 | 12.3% |
| North Carolina | 22,140 | 1,910 | 8.0% |
| New Jersey | 21,750 | 1,820 | 3.4% |
| Missouri | 21,620 | 1,840 | 5.6% |
| Wisconsin | 21,040 | 1,870 | 12.9% |
| Arizona | 20,800 | 1,820 | 10.3% |
| Utah | 20,110 | 1,930 | 31.1% |
| Indiana | 19,310 | 1,600 | 1.6% |
| Idaho | 18,190 | 1,740 | 30.1% |
| Nevada | 18,140 | 1,590 | 11.2% |
| Tennessee | 15,520 | 1,420 | 18.7% |
| Maryland | 14,640 | 1,250 | 6.1% |
| South Carolina | 12,850 | 1,070 | 2.6% |
| Georgia | 12,330 | 1,070 | 9.3% |
| Connecticut | 11,090 | 980 | 12.8% |
| Kentucky | 11,000 | 920 | 2.9% |
| Louisiana | 10,910 | 960 | 10.9% |
| Iowa | 10,480 | 910 | 9.9% |
| Alabama | 9,560 | 810 | 4.8% |
| Nebraska | 8,580 | 740 | 7.4% |
| Kansas | 8,310 | 700 | 4.3% |
| Massachusetts | 7,860 | 670 | 4.8% |
| Maine | 7,290 | 570 | −5.1% |
| Oklahoma | 7,180 | 610 | 6.7% |
| Montana | 7,050 | 650 | 20.9% |
| Puerto Rico | 6,970 | 630 | 16.4% |
| South Dakota | 6,780 | 600 | 10.8% |
| Rhode Island | 5,450 | 470 | 7.1% |
| New Hampshire | 5,120 | 440 | 6.7% |
| Vermont | 5,010 | 430 | 6.1% |
| Arkansas | 4,940 | 420 | 4.7% |
| West Virginia | 4,770 | 390 | −2.1% |
| New Mexico | 4,730 | 410 | 9.5% |
| Mississippi | 4,060 | 360 | 10.6% |
| Wyoming | 3,870 | 340 | 12.8% |
| North Dakota | 3,400 | 300 | 9.0% |
| Alaska | 2,320 | 200 | 7.4% |
| Delaware | 2,080 | 180 | 5.6% |
| District of Columbia | 1,340 | 110 | 4.7% |
| Guam | 990 | 80 | −13.2% |
| Virgin Islands | 190 | 20 | — |
Career to college
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