Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in California

Median $36.50 an hour for 100,750 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$36.50/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$75,920/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.83 – $57.6710th to 90th percentilehourly range
100,750Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Carpenter pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $22.83 · 25th $28.72 · median $36.50 · 75th $46.07 · 90th $57.67California$36.50$22.83$57.67United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 3rd of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 6th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.97). 100,750 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.83 – $28.72$47,490 – $59,740roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$28.72 – $46.07$59,740 – $95,830the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$46.07 – $57.67$95,830 – $119,950the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrSan Francisco: $42.89San Francisco$42.89Napa: $38.75Napa$38.75Santa Rosa: $38.71Santa Rosa$38.71San Jose: $38.55San Jose$38.55Santa Cruz: $37.35Santa Cruz$37.35San Luis Obispo: $37.12San Luis Obispo$37.12Vallejo: $36.64Vallejo$36.64Yuba City: $36.59Yuba City$36.59Los Angeles: $36.41Los Angeles$36.41Santa Maria: $36.12Santa Maria$36.12Merced: $35.94Merced$35.94Sacramento: $35.79Sacramento$35.79
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
San Francisco$28.38$42.89$63.8314,01018% above
Napa$26.38$38.75$64.066506% above
Santa Rosa$24.56$38.71$58.412,1506% above
San Jose$26.54$38.55$64.364,4606% above
Santa Cruz$23.18$37.35$54.957002% above
San Luis Obispo$23.30$37.12$61.718202% above
Vallejo$24.54$36.64$60.97660about the same as
Yuba City$23.15$36.59$56.19220about the same as
Los Angeles$22.53$36.41$56.4630,600about the same as
Santa Maria$22.59$36.12$50.791,1001% below
Merced$21.64$35.94$51.323502% below
Sacramento$21.94$35.79$55.179,7302% below
El Centro$21.36$35.74$47.951402% below
Oxnard$23.62$35.61$52.082,0502% below
Modesto$23.54$35.45$56.611,4303% below
Hanford$22.92$35.22$56.051104% below
San Diego$22.75$35.19$56.538,7104% below
Chico$22.73$34.75$55.833905% below
Redding$22.83$34.50$49.233105% below
Riverside$22.32$34.08$53.8312,9707% below
Stockton$23.09$33.25$52.321,2609% below
Salinas$23.04$32.47$50.301,21011% below
Bakersfield$21.69$31.99$50.391,10012% below
Visalia$21.42$30.96$47.7765015% below
Fresno$21.88$30.52$54.431,79016% below

Carpenter wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$36.50California$29.12United States
Median hourly wage for carpenters, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$19.82$38.30$15.35112,610
2000$19.34$36.16$15.69121,260
2001$19.90$36.18$16.09121,650
2002$20.49$36.67$16.44121,900
2003$20.49$35.85$16.47117,890
2004$22.47$38.30$16.78124,140
2005$22.81$37.60$17.11137,270
2006$23.50$37.53$17.57144,450
2007$23.77$36.91$18.11128,280
2008$24.63$36.83$18.72106,130
2009$24.92$37.40$18.9881,250
2010$25.49$37.63$19.0063,610
2011$26.11$37.37$19.2456,480
2012$25.79$36.16$19.2057,470
2013$25.28$34.94$19.4763,110
2014$23.84$32.42$19.6373,040
2015$24.33$33.05$20.2482,540
2016$25.24$33.86$20.9691,780
2017$26.15$34.35$21.7196,460
2018$27.29$34.99$22.40100,570
2019$28.22$35.54$23.24106,300
2020$29.53$36.73$23.81103,640
2021$29.25$34.75$23.20100,950
2022$30.83$33.92$24.71111,340
2023$32.87$34.73$27.09102,870
2024$35.97$36.92$28.51106,500
2025$36.50$36.50$29.12100,750

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in California changed by +10.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 52 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $86.68 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $26.00). 6 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $25.04). The market median for the state is $36.50.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $93.91 (union)Alpine: $86.68 (union)Amador: $25.04 (survey)Butte: $86.68 (union)Calaveras: $93.91 (union)Colusa: $86.68 (union)Contra Costa: $93.91 (union)Del Norte: $26.00 (survey)El Dorado: $86.68 (union)Fresno: $93.91 (union)Glenn: $86.68 (union)Humboldt: $26.00 (survey)Imperial: $78.42 (union)Inyo: $68.41 (union)Kern: $68.41 (union)Kings: $93.91 (union)Lake: $26.00 (survey)Lassen: $86.68 (union)Los Angeles: $78.42 (union)Madera: $93.91 (union)Marin: $86.68 (union)Mariposa: $93.91 (union)Mendocino: $26.00 (survey)Merced: $93.91 (union)Modoc: $86.68 (union)Mono: $68.41 (union)Monterey: $93.91 (union)Napa: $86.68 (union)Nevada: $86.68 (union)Orange: $78.42 (union)Placer: $86.68 (union)Plumas: $86.68 (union)Riverside: $78.42 (union)Sacramento: $86.68 (union)San Benito: $93.91 (union)San Bernardino: $78.42 (union)San Diego: $75.12 (union)San Francisco: $93.91 (union)San Joaquin: $93.91 (union)San Luis Obispo: $78.42 (union)San Mateo: $93.91 (union)Santa Barbara: $78.42 (union)Santa Clara: $93.91 (union)Santa Cruz: $93.91 (union)Shasta: $86.68 (union)Sierra: $86.68 (union)Siskiyou: $86.68 (union)Solano: $86.68 (union)Sonoma: $86.68 (union)Stanislaus: $93.91 (union)Sutter: $86.68 (union)Tehama: $86.68 (union)Trinity: $86.68 (union)Tulare: $17.60 (survey)Tuolumne: $93.91 (union)Ventura: $78.42 (union)Yolo: $86.68 (union)Yuba: $86.68 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$78.42$86.68survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for carpenters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$40$60$80$100/hrFresno (Fresno): market median $30.52, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$63.39Fresno (Fresno)+$63.39Monterey (Salinas): market median $32.47, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$61.44Monterey (Salinas)+$61.44San Joaquin (Stockton): market median $33.25, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$60.66San Joaquin (Stockton)+$60.66Kings (Hanford): market median $35.22, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$58.69Kings (Hanford)+$58.69Stanislaus (Modesto): market median $35.45, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$58.46Stanislaus (Modesto)+$58.46Merced (Merced): market median $35.94, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$57.97Merced (Merced)+$57.97Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $37.35, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$56.56Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$56.56San Benito (San Jose): market median $38.55, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$55.36San Benito (San Jose)+$55.36Shasta (Redding): market median $34.50, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$52.18Shasta (Redding)+$52.18Butte (Chico): market median $34.75, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$51.93Butte (Chico)+$51.93Alameda (San Francisco): market median $42.89, prevailing (union) $93.91, gap +$51.02Alameda (San Francisco)+$51.02El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $35.79, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$50.89El Dorado (Sacramento)+$50.89Sutter (Yuba City): market median $36.59, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$50.09Sutter (Yuba City)+$50.09Solano (Vallejo): market median $36.64, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$50.04Solano (Vallejo)+$50.04Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $38.71, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$47.97Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$47.97Napa (Napa): market median $38.75, prevailing (union) $86.68, gap +$47.93Napa (Napa)+$47.93Riverside (Riverside): market median $34.08, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$44.34Riverside (Riverside)+$44.34Imperial (El Centro): market median $35.74, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$42.68Imperial (El Centro)+$42.68Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $36.41, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$42.01Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$42.01San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $37.12, prevailing (union) $78.42, gap +$41.30San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$41.30
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
CalaverasUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
Contra CostaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
FresnoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
KingsUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
MaderaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
MariposaUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
MercedUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
MontereyUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
San BenitoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
San FranciscoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
San JoaquinUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
San MateoUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
Santa ClaraUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018
Santa CruzUnion CARP0217-001 2023-07-01$60.39$33.52$93.91CA20260018

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in California?

The median carpenter in California earned $36.50 an hour ($75,920 a year) in May 2025, 25% above the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $28.72–$46.07; the top 10% earn more than $57.67.

Where does California rank for carpenter pay?

California ranks 3rd of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $36.50 an hour, and 6th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 52 counties, with a typical package of $86.68 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in California?

BLS counted 100,750 carpenters in California in May 2025, 5.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.28; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2031.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.