Carpenters Salary
Carpenters in Texas make a median of $48,900 a year, or about $23.51 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $66K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $53,448 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 40.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $49K get you in Texas?
About carpenters
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for carpenters in Texas runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 41.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 carpenterss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level carpenters (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $66K or more, a $29K spread from bottom to top.
Carpenters salary by metro in Texas
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midland | $61K | +24% | 170 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $58K | +19% | 1,000 |
| Odessa | $52K | +7% | 180 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $50K | +3% | 2,540 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | +2% | 9,600 |
| Victoria | $49K | +1% | 30 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $49K | +0% | 2,240 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $49K | -0% | 9,480 |
| Amarillo | $48K | -2% | 350 |
| Sherman-Denison | $48K | -2% | 160 |
| Killeen-Temple | $48K | -3% | 270 |
| Waco | $47K | -3% | 420 |
| Corpus Christi | $47K | -3% | 1,250 |
| College Station-Bryan | $47K | -4% | 170 |
| Longview | $46K | -6% | 370 |
| Tyler | $44K | -10% | 140 |
| Lubbock | $44K | -11% | 280 |
| Abilene | $43K | -12% | 80 |
| Texarkana | $43K | -13% | 90 |
| El Paso | $42K | -13% | 620 |
| San Angelo | $42K | -15% | 60 |
| Laredo | $42K | -15% | 100 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $42K | -15% | 310 |
| Wichita Falls | $39K | -21% | 80 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $36K | -27% | 250 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
Compare to other states
Track carpenters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 41.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new carpenters typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,219/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $49K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for carpenters?
Texas pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do carpenters make in Texas?
The median is $48,900 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,980, and experienced carpenters can clear $65,920. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,444/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 41.1% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $53,448 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.