Costs
How much does it cost to hire a carpenter?
Short answer: the official May 2025 national median wage for carpenters is $29.12 an hour ($60,580.00 a year). On a 40-hour, 2,080-hour year at that median, wages are $60,569.60 and federal employer payroll taxes are $4,675.58. Official new-employer state unemployment tax on that wage ranges from $112.50 in Nebraska to $1,453.67 in Hawaii among states with a published rate, so employer payroll taxes total $4,788.08 to $6,129.25 before workers’ comp. Local pay will differ from the national median, and this page does not invent a national insurance rate.
Key takeaways
- Official May 2025 OEWS figures for Carpenters (47-2031): median $29.12 an hour, mean $31.55 an hour, annual mean $65,630.00, employment 670,090. Source: official OEWS profile for Carpenters (47-2031), also listed in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- Federal employer taxes on $60,569.60 of wages are $4,675.58: $3,755.32 Social Security, $878.26 Medicare, and $42.00 net FUTA (IRS Publication 15, IRS Topic 751, IRS Topic 759).
- Official 2026 new-employer SUTA on this wage ranges from $112.50 (Nebraska) to $1,453.67 (Hawaii) among states with a published rate in the DOL January 2026 table. See the state payroll-tax index.
On this page
Prefill the calculator Opens at the official BLS median of $29.12 an hour and 40 hours. Choose your state for the official unemployment wage base, and add a workers’ comp quote.
Open the calculator with this wageOfficial BLS pay for carpenters
The wage used in the table is the official national median hourly wage of $29.12. The official annual median wage is $60,580.00. The official mean is $31.55 an hour, or $65,630.00 a year. Those figures are national and include experienced leads and newer hires; your market may be higher or lower. They are a planning baseline, not a wage you must offer.
Employer payroll taxes on that median wage
| Line (one year at the official national median) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wages at the official median ($29.12/hour × 2,080) | $60,569.60 |
| Employer Social Security (6.2%) | $3,755.32 |
| Employer Medicare (1.45%) | $878.26 |
| FUTA (0.6% net, first $7,000) | $42.00 |
| State unemployment tax, official published new-employer range (Nebraska–Hawaii) | $112.50–$1,453.67 |
| Employer payroll taxes, federal plus official SUTA range | $4,788.08–$6,129.25 |
| Workers’ compensation | Local quote; no national rate invented |
Workers’ comp, overtime, benefits, and payroll tools are left out on purpose. Insurance is priced by class and state; see workers’ comp cost for a first employee. Overtime, when it applies, follows the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Official state unemployment examples
| Official new-employer SUTA example | SUTA | Federal + SUTA |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana (2.50% on first $9,500) | $237.50 | $4,913.08 |
| Texas (2.70% on first $9,000) | $243.00 | $4,918.58 |
| Florida (2.70% on first $7,000) | $189.00 | $4,864.58 |
Those three states are shown because this site already documents their official new-employer rates. Your state may differ; use the calculator or the state index rather than copying an example from a state you do not operate in.
What is different about hiring a carpenter
Carpenters are one of the largest construction occupations in the official May 2025 OEWS survey, with 670,090 jobs nationally. The occupation is broad: framing, finish, cabinets, concrete forms, and some exterior work all sit in 47-2031. A finish carpenter in a high-cost metro will not match a framing carpenter in a lower-cost area, so treat the national median as a starting point, not a wage offer.
Apprentice or helper pay is often lower than this journey-level median. If you are hiring a helper rather than a carpenter, use a local wage and see how much to pay a helper. Tools, a work truck, and workers’ comp are extra; this site does not invent a carpentry class rate.
Related trade pages: roofer, painter, welder, or the overall first-hire cost guide.
Change the wage or hours The official median is a starting point. Enter what you will actually pay.
Open the calculatorFrequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a carpenter?
Using the official May 2025 BLS median wage of $29.12 an hour, a 2,080-hour year is $60,569.60 in wages and $4,675.58 in federal employer payroll taxes, plus official state unemployment tax of $112.50 to $1,453.67 among states with a published new-employer rate, before workers' comp. Local pay and insurance change the total.
What is the official BLS wage for carpenters?
The May 2025 OEWS national figures are a median of $29.12 an hour, a mean of $31.55 an hour, and an annual mean of $65,630.00, with employment of 670,090.
Is the carpenter wage for framers or finish carpenters?
The official OEWS occupation covers both, along with other carpenter work such as forms and fixtures. The national median blends those jobs. Use a local wage if your hire is clearly at one end of that range.
Figures on this page were checked against the linked official IRS, DOL, USCIS, ACF, and (where used) Indiana ICRB pages in November 2026. Examples are planning estimates, not a tax, legal, or insurance outcome. Confirm with your agencies, accountant, and carrier before you hire or classify a worker.