Carpenters Salary
Carpenters in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN make a median of $63,050 a year, or about $30.31 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.43), which stretches that salary to about $67,484 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,242/month, or 29.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $63K get you in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lafayette-West Lafayette’s Regional Price Parity (93.43). 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
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What this looks like in Lafayette-West Lafayette
Carpenters pay in Lafayette-West Lafayette tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,242/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.43 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $65K | $68K |
| Fort Wayne | $60K | $65K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $66K | $73K |
| Evansville | $65K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN
Entry-level carpenters (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $49K 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
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Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 29.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,242/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for carpenters in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new carpenters typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,820/month. At HUD’s $1,242/month FMR, rent would take 44% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Lafayette-West Lafayette compare to the national average for carpenters?
Lafayette-West Lafayette pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.43), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do carpenters make in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN?
The median is $63,050 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,000, and experienced carpenters can clear $95,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Lafayette-West Lafayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,231/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,242/month, which eats 29.4% 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette?
Lafayette-West Lafayette has a Regional Price Parity of 93.43 (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 $67,484 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.