Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters Salary
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters in Lexington-Fayette, KY make a median of $38,650 a year, or about $18.58 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $41,608 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 48.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $39K actually covers in Lexington-Fayette, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About cabinetmakers and bench carpenters
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Pay for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters in Lexington-Fayette runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 48.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for cabinetmakers and bench carpenterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $46K | $49K |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $47K | $51K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $46K | $51K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $56K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level cabinetmakers and bench carpenters (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $60K | +29% | 60 |
| New York | $59K | +26% | 2,470 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +24% | 740 |
| Massachusetts | $58K | +24% | 1,440 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +24% | 190 |
| Vermont | $58K | +23% | 360 |
| Rhode Island | $53K | +13% | 80 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +11% | 790 |
| Illinois | $50K | +7% | 2,350 |
| Arkansas | $50K | +7% | 920 |
| Colorado | $50K | +6% | 1,300 |
| Maryland | $49K | +5% | 610 |
| Hawaii | $49K | +5% | 160 |
| California | $49K | +5% | 7,360 |
| Minnesota | $49K | +4% | 2,340 |
| Washington | $49K | +4% | 1,350 |
| Nebraska | $49K | +4% | 230 |
| Michigan | $49K | +4% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $48K | +3% | 940 |
| Montana | $48K | +3% | 510 |
| Nevada | $48K | +2% | 450 |
| South Carolina | $48K | +2% | 710 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | +2% | 3,300 |
| Ohio | $47K | +2% | 3,110 |
| New Mexico | $47K | +1% | 170 |
| North Dakota | $47K | +1% | 220 |
| Iowa | $47K | +1% | 1,010 |
| Oregon | $47K | +0% | 2,190 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | +0% | 2,070 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -1% | 1,570 |
| Utah | $46K | -1% | 2,120 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -1% | 90 |
| Florida | $46K | -1% | 3,490 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -1% | 2,900 |
| Missouri | $46K | -1% | 1,690 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -2% | 440 |
| Virginia | $46K | -2% | 2,170 |
| Arizona | $46K | -2% | 1,600 |
| Indiana | $46K | -2% | 5,980 |
| Idaho | $45K | -4% | 970 |
| West Virginia | $42K | -9% | 130 |
| Georgia | $42K | -9% | 3,740 |
| Kansas | $41K | -11% | 1,340 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -13% | 920 |
| Louisiana | $39K | -16% | 470 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -17% | 580 |
| Alabama | $39K | -17% | 1,760 |
| Texas | $38K | -18% | 5,530 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -22% | 1,020 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track cabinetmakers and bench carpenters salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a cabinetmakers and bench carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 48.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new cabinetmakers and bench carpenters typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,048/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 62% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is cabinetmakers and bench carpenter a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $39K here vs. $47K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for cabinetmakers and bench carpenters?
Lexington-Fayette pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do cabinetmakers and bench carpenters make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $38,650 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,520, and experienced cabinetmakers and bench carpenters can clear $58,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,629/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 48.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a cabinetmakers and bench carpenters salary go in Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median cabinetmakers and bench carpenters salary is worth about $41,608 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do cabinetmakers and bench carpenters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.