Construction and Extraction · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Carpentry Construction Specialist, Finish Carpenter, Form Carpenter, Scaffold Builder, Bridge Carpenter, Cabinet Maker, Concrete Carpenter, Construction Carpenter.

O*NET 47-2031.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $60,580; Middle half earn $48,510 to $76,830. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 52% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +4% · As fast as average; 959,000 jobs in 2024, projected 1,002,100. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Carpenters".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
Select and order lumber or other required materials.
Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work.
Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's hand tools, or power tools.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Active Listening3.4 / 5
Critical Thinking3.4 / 5
Monitoring3.4 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Speaking3.1 / 5
Mathematics3.0 / 5

Knowledge areas

Building and Construction4.7 / 5
Administration and Management3.9 / 5
Mathematics3.9 / 5
Design3.9 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.6 / 5
Public Safety and Security3.5 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic96
Investigative15
Artistic20
Social15
Enterprising13
Conventional41

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

carpenter supervisor · DE Baupolier Zimmerarbeiten/Baupolierin Zimmerarbeiten · FR chef d’équipe en pose de charpentes
house builder · DE Rohbaufacharbeiter/Rohbaufacharbeiterin · FR constructeur de maisons individuelles/constructrice de maisons individuelles
carpenter · DE Zimmerer/Zimmerin · FR charpentier/charpentière
door installer · DE Türenbauer/Türenbauerin · FR installateur de portes/installatrice de portes
kitchen unit installer · DE Küchenbauer/Küchenbauerin · FR installateur de cuisines/installatrice de cuisines
staircase installer · DE Treppenbauer/Treppenbauerin · FR installateur d’escalier/installatrice d’escalier

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Plasterers (5321)38,800 employed
Pipe fitters (5214)3,700 employed
Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)53,100 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Japan

Japan classifies jobs in its own way. The closest category that names the same work is “大工”, which may be narrower or broader than this occupation.

Median monthly pay: ¥324,200; Middle half earn ¥262,200 to ¥373,400 a month.
Workers in the category: 19,310; Regular employees in firms of ten or more.

Scheduled monthly pay before tax, excluding overtime and bonuses, so it is not comparable to the annual figures above. Source: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025, via e-Stat, under the Japanese Government Standard Terms of Use. The category match was made by hand.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -1.32. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (47-2031).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

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