Carpenters Are the Most Common Trade in a Renovation and Earn More in Hawaii Than Anywhere
This is a wage analysis, not a cost guide.
The spread
| State | Median pay | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $85,280 | +36% |
| Illinois | $79,000 | +26% |
| California | $75,920 | +21% |
| Massachusetts | $75,200 | +20% |
| Washington | $74,190 | +19% |
| Alaska | $73,860 | +18% |
| New York | $72,330 | +16% |
| Minnesota | $64,930 | +4% |
| … | … | … |
| Alabama | $48,220 | -23% |
| South Dakota | $48,140 | -23% |
| Arkansas | $47,760 | -24% |
| Oklahoma | $46,910 | -25% |
Hawaii tops the table at $85,280, which is 36% above the national median. Oklahoma is at the bottom, 25% below it.
Why carpenters show a clean pattern
Carpentry is large enough — 670,000 workers — that state-level medians are stable, and general enough that it tracks the local construction market rather than a niche.
That makes it a useful benchmark: when a carpenter quote in your state looks high, compare it against this table before assuming you are being overcharged.
Where carpenters fit in a bill
Carpenters appear in every project on this site: framing on a roof, cabinets and trim in a kitchen, subfloor on a flooring job, posts and rails on a fence.
At $62,569 nationally they sit between the licensed trades at $69,000 and the labourers at $49,000, which is why carpentry is usually the largest single labour line on a general renovation.
Price a kitchen with carpentry
Frequently asked
Is carpentry a licensed trade?
Generally no, which is part of why it sits below electricians and plumbers. Structural carpentry may need an inspection but not a licence.
Why is Hawaii so far above everyone else?
The same reason every trade in Hawaii is expensive: prices there are the highest in the dataset, so wages have to clear a higher floor.
Updated October 2026