Carpenters Salary
Carpenters in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN make a median of $58,950 a year, or about $28.34 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.77), which stretches that salary to about $64,237 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,166/month, about 30.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $59K actually covers in La Crosse-Onalaska, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by La Crosse-Onalaska’s Regional Price Parity (91.77). 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 carpenters
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in La Crosse-Onalaska
Carpenters pay in La Crosse-Onalaska tracks closely to the national median, $59K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $1,166/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.77 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for carpenters in metros near La Crosse-Onalaska, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $64K | $66K |
| Madison | $63K | $65K |
| Green Bay | $60K | $65K |
| Appleton | $62K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN
Entry-level carpenters (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $59K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Carpenters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Carpenters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $85K | +41% | 4,810 |
| Illinois | $79K | +30% | 19,570 |
| California | $76K | +25% | 100,750 |
| Massachusetts | $75K | +24% | 18,540 |
| Washington | $74K | +22% | 26,960 |
| Alaska | $74K | +22% | 2,560 |
| New York | $72K | +19% | 40,630 |
| Minnesota | $65K | +7% | 14,930 |
| Connecticut | $64K | +6% | 5,160 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +6% | 14,230 |
| Maryland | $63K | +4% | 9,770 |
| Oregon | $63K | +4% | 15,110 |
| Indiana | $63K | +4% | 15,240 |
| Colorado | $63K | +4% | 12,740 |
| Vermont | $62K | +3% | 3,080 |
| Nevada | $62K | +3% | 12,700 |
| Maine | $62K | +3% | 5,170 |
| District of Columbia | $62K | +2% | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $62K | +2% | 18,590 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +2% | 13,880 |
| New Hampshire | $61K | +1% | 3,760 |
| Missouri | $61K | +0% | 14,410 |
| Rhode Island | $61K | +0% | 2,580 |
| Ohio | $61K | +0% | 18,450 |
| New Mexico | $60K | -1% | 3,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $59K | -2% | 30,630 |
| Delaware | $59K | -2% | 2,250 |
| Montana | $59K | -3% | 4,030 |
| Arizona | $59K | -3% | 16,230 |
| North Dakota | $58K | -4% | 2,360 |
| Iowa | $58K | -5% | 5,770 |
| Kansas | $57K | -6% | 5,210 |
| Wyoming | $57K | -6% | 2,260 |
| Virginia | $56K | -8% | 20,460 |
| Kentucky | $53K | -13% | 8,540 |
| Utah | $52K | -14% | 15,220 |
| Idaho | $52K | -14% | 8,380 |
| Tennessee | $51K | -16% | 8,200 |
| South Carolina | $51K | -16% | 6,950 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -17% | 5,710 |
| Louisiana | $50K | -18% | 8,990 |
| Florida | $50K | -18% | 39,300 |
| Georgia | $49K | -19% | 9,190 |
| North Carolina | $49K | -19% | 13,480 |
| Texas | $49K | -19% | 33,540 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -20% | 3,670 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -20% | 2,950 |
| Alabama | $48K | -20% | 5,560 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -21% | 4,560 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -21% | 4,030 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -23% | 3,820 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track carpenters salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when La Crosse-Onalaska numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in La Crosse-Onalaska?
Yes — at the median salary of $59K, rent takes 29.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,166/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for carpenters in La Crosse-Onalaska?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new carpenters typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,130/month. At HUD’s $1,166/month FMR, rent would take 37% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is carpenter a high-paying job in La Crosse-Onalaska?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $59K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does La Crosse-Onalaska compare to the national average for carpenters?
La Crosse-Onalaska pays $59K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do carpenters make in La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN?
The median is $58,950 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,930, and experienced carpenters can clear $83,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $59K enough to live in La Crosse-Onalaska?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,944/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,166/month, which eats 29.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a carpenters salary go in La Crosse-Onalaska?
La Crosse-Onalaska has a Regional Price Parity of 91.77 (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 carpenters salary is worth about $64,237 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do 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.