Carpenter salary in Delaware
Median $28.46 an hour for 2,250 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Carpenter pay in Delaware: the full range
Delaware ranks 27th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 29th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.52). 2,250 carpenters work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.71 – $23.35 | $45,160 – $48,560 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.35 – $36.24 | $48,560 – $75,380 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $36.24 – $39.10 | $75,380 – $81,320 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Carpenter pay by metro in Delaware
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $21.97 | $29.70 | $28.95 | $47.34 | 14,260 | 4% above |
| Dover | $21.42 | $25.07 | $25.71 | $37.03 | 270 | 12% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Carpenter wages in Delaware over time
Table
| Year | Delaware $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.48 | $27.98 | $15.35 | 2,370 |
| 2000 | $15.91 | $29.75 | $15.69 | 3,320 |
| 2001 | $16.55 | $30.09 | $16.09 | 2,770 |
| 2002 | $16.47 | $29.47 | $16.44 | 2,580 |
| 2003 | $16.47 | $28.82 | $16.47 | 3,010 |
| 2004 | $16.85 | $28.72 | $16.78 | 2,930 |
| 2005 | $18.89 | $31.14 | $17.11 | 3,280 |
| 2006 | $20.25 | $32.34 | $17.57 | 3,580 |
| 2007 | $19.51 | $30.29 | $18.11 | 3,460 |
| 2008 | $20.14 | $30.12 | $18.72 | 2,820 |
| 2009 | $19.78 | $29.68 | $18.98 | 2,130 |
| 2010 | $19.46 | $28.73 | $19.00 | 1,800 |
| 2011 | $18.61 | $26.64 | $19.24 | 2,010 |
| 2012 | $18.53 | $25.98 | $19.20 | 1,870 |
| 2013 | $20.10 | $27.78 | $19.47 | 2,030 |
| 2014 | $20.69 | $28.14 | $19.63 | 1,980 |
| 2015 | $20.69 | $28.10 | $20.24 | 1,900 |
| 2016 | $21.45 | $28.77 | $20.96 | 1,650 |
| 2017 | $22.44 | $29.47 | $21.71 | 1,770 |
| 2018 | $22.85 | $29.30 | $22.40 | 1,950 |
| 2019 | $23.84 | $30.02 | $23.24 | 2,230 |
| 2020 | $22.58 | $28.09 | $23.81 | 1,980 |
| 2021 | $23.22 | $27.59 | $23.20 | 1,630 |
| 2022 | $27.64 | $30.41 | $24.71 | 1,560 |
| 2023 | $28.74 | $30.37 | $27.09 | 1,450 |
| 2024 | $29.38 | $30.15 | $28.51 | 1,650 |
| 2025 | $28.46 | $28.46 | $29.12 | 2,250 |
In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Delaware changed by +1.3% over the last ten years of data and by -5.2% since 2019.
Are there more carpenter jobs in Delaware?
BLS counted 2,250 carpenters in Delaware in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 10%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for carpenters in Delaware
Delaware's labor market agency projects the number of carpenters in the state to change by +14.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,070 to 2,380, with about 190 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +3.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 2,250 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Delaware labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Delaware
On federally funded construction in Delaware, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 3 of the 3 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $63.61 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.46.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent | Union CARP0173-009 2025-05-01 | $38.27 | $25.34 | $63.61 | DE20260007 |
| New Castle | Union CARP0173-009 2025-05-01 | $38.27 | $25.34 | $63.61 | DE20260008 |
| Sussex | Union CARP0173-011 2025-05-01 | $32.87 | $18.98 | $51.85 | DE20260009 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Delaware prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Delaware?
Keep comparing
Carpenter pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Delaware
More on Delaware
Questions this page answers
How much do carpenters make in Delaware?
The median carpenter in Delaware earned $28.46 an hour ($59,200 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $23.35–$36.24; the top 10% earn more than $39.10.
Where does Delaware rank for carpenter pay?
Delaware ranks 27th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $28.46 an hour, and 29th after adjusting for Delaware's cost of living (BEA price parity 99.8, US = 100).
What is the union carpenter rate in Delaware?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 3 counties, with a typical package of $63.61 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many carpenters work in Delaware?
BLS counted 2,250 carpenters in Delaware in May 2025, 4.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.08; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is carpenter work growing in Delaware?
Delaware's labor market agency projects +14.9% growth for carpenters between 2024 and 2034, from 2,070 to 2,380 jobs.
How many carpenter openings a year are there in Delaware?
Delaware projects about 190 openings a year for carpenters over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 62,800 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Delaware and metro areas, SOC 47-2031. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Delaware labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.