Sort by any column. Employment is the number of carpenters OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Carpenter Salary by State (2026)
Carpenters earn the most in Hawaii at $85,280 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $30,530 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $60,580. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $85,280
- National median
- $60,580
- Lowest median
- $30,530
- States reporting
- 54
Hawaii
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Carpenters
- 1. Hawaii$85,280 median · $77,562 adjusted · 4,810 employed
- 2. Illinois$79,000 median · $79,033 adjusted · 19,570 employed
- 3. California$75,920 median · $68,569 adjusted · 100,750 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$75,200 median · $71,106 adjusted · 18,540 employed
- 5. Washington$74,190 median · $69,328 adjusted · 26,960 employed
Lowest-paying states for Carpenters
- 54. Puerto Rico$30,530 median · no price parity · 3,180 employed
- 53. Guam$36,910 median · no price parity · 1,510 employed
- 52. Oklahoma$46,910 median · $53,402 adjusted · 3,820 employed
- 51. Arkansas$47,760 median · $54,936 adjusted · 4,030 employed
- 50. South Dakota$48,140 median · $54,343 adjusted · 4,560 employed
Carpenter salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $85,280 | $66,380 | $110,980 | 4,810 | $77,562 |
| 2 | Illinois | $79,000 | $56,160 | $106,950 | 19,570 | $79,033 |
| 3 | California | $75,920 | $59,740 | $95,830 | 100,750 | $68,569 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $75,200 | $60,770 | $97,520 | 18,540 | $71,106 |
| 5 | Washington | $74,190 | $60,630 | $92,660 | 26,960 | $69,328 |
| 6 | Alaska | $73,860 | $59,770 | $94,150 | 2,560 | $72,158 |
| 7 | New York | $72,330 | $57,330 | $89,820 | 40,630 | $67,021 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $64,930 | $55,240 | $84,410 | 14,930 | $65,838 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $64,060 | $57,540 | $80,820 | 5,160 | $61,828 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $64,010 | $51,220 | $80,430 | 14,230 | $58,830 |
| 11 | Maryland | $62,960 | $52,220 | $76,810 | 9,770 | $59,985 |
| 12 | Indiana | $62,870 | $49,940 | $76,850 | 15,240 | $67,364 |
| 13 | Oregon | $62,870 | $50,450 | $93,380 | 15,110 | $60,826 |
| 14 | Colorado | $62,830 | $51,940 | $74,430 | 12,740 | $60,969 |
| 15 | Vermont | $62,400 | $52,260 | $64,420 | 3,080 | $63,701 |
| 16 | Nevada | $62,380 | $50,440 | $81,400 | 12,700 | $62,393 |
| 17 | Maine | $62,160 | $52,960 | $72,800 | 5,170 | $64,049 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $61,710 | $57,160 | $75,250 | 1,540 | $56,151 |
| 19 | Michigan | $61,680 | $49,500 | $72,990 | 18,590 | $64,105 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $61,660 | $49,750 | $79,310 | 13,880 | $65,530 |
| 21 | New Hampshire | $61,200 | $50,170 | $73,760 | 3,760 | $58,753 |
| 22 | Missouri | $60,840 | $47,520 | $80,570 | 14,410 | $66,992 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $60,840 | $52,300 | $75,750 | 2,580 | $59,484 |
| 24 | Ohio | $60,810 | $48,720 | $75,860 | 18,450 | $65,546 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $59,720 | $47,150 | $63,310 | 3,630 | $64,764 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $59,370 | $47,850 | $74,700 | 30,630 | $60,847 |
| 27 | Delaware | $59,200 | $48,560 | $75,380 | 2,250 | $59,314 |
| 28 | Montana | $58,820 | $49,590 | $67,530 | 4,030 | $62,148 |
| 29 | Arizona | $58,580 | $47,890 | $69,820 | 16,230 | $58,186 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $57,890 | $48,820 | $63,550 | 2,360 | $65,075 |
| 31 | Iowa | $57,710 | $47,640 | $65,910 | 5,770 | $65,757 |
| 32 | Kansas | $56,960 | $47,830 | $66,730 | 5,210 | $63,241 |
| 33 | Wyoming | $56,850 | $48,760 | $61,950 | 2,260 | $61,333 |
| 34 | Virginia | $55,690 | $46,460 | $61,340 | 20,460 | $55,082 |
| 35 | Kentucky | $52,680 | $45,940 | $61,260 | 8,540 | $58,430 |
| 36 | Utah | $52,360 | $45,830 | $62,810 | 15,220 | $52,962 |
| 37 | Idaho | $52,000 | $45,250 | $62,920 | 8,380 | $54,454 |
| 38 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $51,730 | $46,100 | $61,680 | 270 | N/A |
| 39 | Tennessee | $50,830 | $46,520 | $59,900 | 8,200 | $55,328 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $50,670 | $43,620 | $62,610 | 6,950 | $54,049 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $50,320 | $45,270 | $62,580 | 5,710 | $55,847 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $49,920 | $43,730 | $59,740 | 8,990 | $56,594 |
| 43 | Florida | $49,870 | $44,540 | $59,880 | 39,300 | $48,224 |
| 44 | Georgia | $49,350 | $42,210 | $58,250 | 9,190 | $51,250 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $49,100 | $42,150 | $58,810 | 13,480 | $52,054 |
| 46 | Texas | $48,900 | $44,690 | $57,780 | 33,540 | $50,383 |
| 47 | West Virginia | $48,710 | $38,180 | $60,190 | 3,670 | $54,426 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $48,650 | $38,420 | $52,480 | 2,950 | $55,950 |
| 49 | Alabama | $48,220 | $40,410 | $56,390 | 5,560 | $54,288 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $48,140 | $42,190 | $60,060 | 4,560 | $54,343 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $47,760 | $41,460 | $57,510 | 4,030 | $54,936 |
| 52 | Oklahoma | $46,910 | $40,280 | $53,510 | 3,820 | $53,402 |
| 53 | Guam | $36,910 | $35,450 | $45,280 | 1,510 | N/A |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $30,530 | $27,710 | $34,600 | 3,180 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Carpenters, that changes the ranking: Hawaii leads on raw pay at $85,280, while Illinois leads once prices are taken into account at $79,033.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Carpenter pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Carpenters the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for Carpenters at $85,280 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Illinois ($79,000) and California ($75,920).
Which state pays Carpenters the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Carpenters at $30,530 a year, $54,750 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Carpenters earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Illinois first at $79,033 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $79,000. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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