Helpers--Carpenters Salary
In Lake Charles, LA, helpers--carpenters earn $46,510 at the median, or about $22.36 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $58K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $54,176 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,217/month, about 38.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 helpers--carpenters
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What this looks like in Lake Charles
Helpers--carpenters pay in Lake Charles tracks closely to the national median, $47K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,217/month, which is 38.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for helpers--carpenters in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $48K | $53K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $44K | $48K |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $32K | $37K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $45K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level helpers--carpenters (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $58K or more, a $36K spread from bottom to top.
Helpers--Carpenters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Helpers--Carpenters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $58K | +33% | N/A |
| Colorado | $51K | +16% | 200 |
| Connecticut | $50K | +15% | 200 |
| Rhode Island | $50K | +15% | N/A |
| Maine | $50K | +14% | 160 |
| California | $50K | +14% | 2,670 |
| Massachusetts | $48K | +10% | 630 |
| New York | $48K | +9% | 1,110 |
| Arkansas | $47K | +7% | 100 |
| Washington | $46K | +5% | 620 |
| Illinois | $46K | +4% | N/A |
| Michigan | $45K | +3% | 230 |
| Ohio | $45K | +2% | 540 |
| Vermont | $45K | +2% | 200 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +2% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $44K | +1% | 840 |
| Texas | $44K | +0% | 2,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $44K | +0% | 560 |
| Virginia | $44K | -0% | 1,200 |
| Oregon | $43K | -1% | 220 |
| Indiana | $43K | -2% | 160 |
| Montana | $43K | -3% | N/A |
| Idaho | $42K | -4% | N/A |
| Arizona | $42K | -5% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $41K | -7% | 860 |
| North Carolina | $41K | -7% | 650 |
| Florida | $40K | -8% | 2,120 |
| Georgia | $40K | -8% | 410 |
| Iowa | $40K | -9% | 100 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -9% | 440 |
| Nebraska | $40K | -9% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $39K | -10% | 150 |
| Maryland | $39K | -10% | 580 |
| Alaska | $39K | -10% | 90 |
| Alabama | $39K | -11% | 410 |
| Kansas | $38K | -13% | 80 |
| Oklahoma | $38K | -13% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -15% | 50 |
| Nevada | $36K | -17% | 540 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -18% | 200 |
| Utah | $36K | -18% | 330 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -19% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $35K | -19% | 140 |
| South Dakota | $35K | -21% | 330 |
| Delaware | $34K | -23% | 190 |
| West Virginia | $34K | -23% | 320 |
| Missouri | $32K | -26% | 50 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track helpers--carpenters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a helpers--carpenter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 38.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for helpers--carpenters in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new helpers--carpenters typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,298/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 94% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is helpers--carpenter a high-paying job in Lake Charles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $47K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for helpers--carpenters?
Lake Charles pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do helpers--carpenters make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $46,510 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,640, and experienced helpers--carpenters can clear $57,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,166/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 38.4% 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 helpers--carpenters salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 helpers--carpenters salary is worth about $54,176 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do helpers--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.