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How to become a carpenter

Construction trades · SOC 47-2031

$60,580US median pay, 2025
+3.9%Projected growth, 2025–35
62,800Openings per year
ApprenticeshipUsual way in

How you get in

Usually learned through a paid apprenticeship: you earn a wage while you train.

  1. High school diploma or equivalent
  2. Apprenticeship
  3. Work as a carpenter

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

ProgramCodeSchools
Carpentry/CarpenterCIP 46.0201201

See the 201 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a carpenter?
Typically no schooling after high school, then a paid apprenticeship, usually three to five years. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.
How much do carpenters make?
The US median is $60,580 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.
Do you need a degree to become a carpenter?
No. Most people train through a paid apprenticeship and earn while they learn.
Where can you train to become a carpenter?
201 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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