Carpenters Salary
Carpenters in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $50,820 a year, or about $24.43 an hour. The range runs from $33K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $51,773 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 51.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Pay for carpenters in Raleigh-Cary runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 51.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for carpenterss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for carpenters in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $51K | $52K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $50K | $54K |
| Asheville | $51K | $53K |
| Wilmington | $51K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level carpenters (10th percentile) start around $33K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $31K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 51.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for carpenters in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new carpenters typically earn — is $33K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,001/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 87% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $51K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for carpenters?
Raleigh-Cary pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do carpenters make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $50,820 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,350, and experienced carpenters can clear $64,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,382/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 51.7% 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 carpenters salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (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 $51,773 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.