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Carpentry

Types of Degrees Carpentry Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Carpentry can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2,195
Associate’s Degree	530
Master’s Degree	2,379

What Carpentry Majors Need to Know

Programs in Carpentry develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Carpentry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Carpentry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Carpentry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Carpentry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Carpentry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Carpentry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Carpentry graduates include:

• Residential Carpenter
• Sider Mechanic
• Ship and Boat Joiner
• Stair Builder
• Masonry Specialist
• Form Carpenter
• Mold Carpenter
• Hammerman
• Bracer
• Wood Floor Layer
• Wood Flooring Specialist
• Lathing Specialist
• Window Sash Installer
• Panel Installer
• Framer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Carpentry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	41.2%
Less than a high school diploma	19.5%
Postsecondary certificate	18.7%
Some college courses	8.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.7%
Bachelor’s degree	5.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Carpentry?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 90.3% of Carpentry degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	517	9.7%
Men	4,839	90.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Carpentry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,644	49.4%
Asian	124	2.3%
Hispanic or Latino	970	18.1%
Black or African American	847	15.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	130	2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	29	0.5%
Two or More Races	185	3.5%
Race Unknown	412	7.7%
International Students	15	0.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Carpentry Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Carpentry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$34,838
4 years	$37,146
5 years	$38,914

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,914 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Carpentry Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Carpentry graduates earn a median of $37,146 four years after completion — about 2% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Construction Trades	54,802
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers	35,577
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Plumbing and Related Water Supply Services	3,471
CONSTRUCTION TRADES	2,761
Mason/Masonry	378
Construction Trades, Other	281

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.