Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in Indiana

Median $30.23 an hour for 15,240 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.23/hrMedian hourly wageIndiana, May data
$62,870/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.88 – $43.6010th to 90th percentilehourly range
15,240Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Carpenter pay in Indiana: the full range

Wage percentiles, IndianaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIndiana: 10th $21.88 · 25th $24.01 · median $30.23 · 75th $36.95 · 90th $43.60Indiana$30.23$21.88$43.60United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: Indiana vs United States, May 2025.

Indiana ranks 12th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $32.40). 15,240 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$21.88 – $24.01$45,510 – $49,940roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.01 – $36.95$49,940 – $76,850the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.95 – $43.60$76,850 – $90,700the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in Indiana

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrMichigan City: $44.22Michigan City$44.22Chicago: $38.68Chicago$38.68Columbus: $32.59Columbus$32.59Elkhart: $31.50Elkhart$31.50Indianapolis: $31.28Indianapolis$31.28Evansville: $31.10Evansville$31.10Lafayette: $30.31Lafayette$30.31South Bend: $29.66South Bend$29.66Bloomington: $29.50Bloomington$29.50Kokomo: $29.33Kokomo$29.33Terre Haute: $29.12Terre Haute$29.12Fort Wayne: $29.04Fort Wayne$29.04
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in Indiana, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Michigan City$23.99$44.22$44.2226046% above
Chicago$19.82$38.68$56.9514,22028% above
Columbus$22.76$32.59$39.891908% above
Elkhart$21.54$31.50$48.511,1704% above
Indianapolis$22.57$31.28$42.584,9603% above
Evansville$22.09$31.10$38.047903% above
Lafayette$22.59$30.31$46.13300about the same as
South Bend$21.68$29.66$37.845002% below
Bloomington$22.57$29.50$37.272702% below
Kokomo$20.75$29.33$45.671203% below
Terre Haute$18.72$29.12$38.752804% below
Fort Wayne$21.54$29.04$37.081,2404% below
Cincinnati$21.24$28.90$38.344,6104% below
Muncie$20.29$28.79$35.711605% below
Louisville$18.74$27.17$36.232,99010% below

Carpenter wages in Indiana over time

Indiana, 1999-2025IndianaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$30.23Indiana$29.12United States
Median hourly wage for carpenters, Indiana vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIndiana $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.43$31.75$15.3521,890
2000$16.20$30.29$15.6921,920
2001$16.43$29.87$16.0920,330
2002$16.96$30.35$16.4418,990
2003$17.02$29.78$16.4720,210
2004$16.57$28.24$16.7818,550
2005$16.61$27.38$17.1121,120
2006$16.49$26.33$17.5722,710
2007$17.70$27.48$18.1123,860
2008$17.91$26.78$18.7222,160
2009$18.33$27.51$18.9817,280
2010$17.86$26.37$19.0013,470
2011$18.25$26.12$19.2412,740
2012$18.36$25.74$19.2013,020
2013$17.94$24.79$19.4712,690
2014$18.33$24.93$19.6313,080
2015$18.51$25.14$20.2413,440
2016$19.48$26.13$20.9614,280
2017$20.90$27.45$21.7114,710
2018$22.49$28.83$22.4014,290
2019$22.82$28.74$23.2413,920
2020$22.77$28.32$23.8112,950
2021$23.11$27.46$23.2013,360
2022$24.24$26.67$24.7114,630
2023$26.48$27.98$27.0914,860
2024$29.09$29.86$28.5115,200
2025$30.23$30.23$29.1215,240

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Indiana changed by +20.2% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Indiana

On federally funded construction in Indiana, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 89 of the 92 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $57.66 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $10.24). 3 of the 92 counties still use a survey rate dated 1995 or earlier (for example Jefferson County at $10.24). The market median for the state is $30.23.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, INAdams: $57.66 (union)Allen: $57.66 (union)Bartholomew: $57.66 (union)Benton: $57.66 (union)Blackford: $57.66 (union)Boone: $57.66 (union)Brown: $57.66 (union)Carroll: $57.66 (union)Cass: $57.66 (union)Clark: $57.66 (union)Clay: $57.66 (union)Clinton: $57.66 (union)Crawford: $56.99 (union)Daviess: $59.54 (union)Dearborn: $57.66 (union)Decatur: $57.66 (union)DeKalb: $57.66 (union)Delaware: $57.66 (union)Dubois: $59.59 (union)Elkhart: $59.35 (union)Fayette: $57.66 (union)Floyd: $57.66 (union)Fountain: $57.66 (union)Franklin: $57.66 (union)Fulton: $57.66 (union)Gibson: $57.66 (union)Grant: $57.66 (union)Greene: $57.66 (union)Hamilton: $57.66 (union)Hancock: $57.66 (union)Harrison: $57.66 (union)Hendricks: $57.66 (union)Henry: $57.66 (union)Howard: $57.66 (union)Huntington: $57.66 (union)Jackson: $58.21 (union)Jasper: $59.35 (union)Jay: $57.66 (union)Jefferson: $10.24 (survey)Jennings: $57.66 (union)Johnson: $57.66 (union)Knox: $59.54 (union)Kosciusko: $59.35 (union)LaGrange: $59.35 (union)Lake: $60.68 (union)LaPorte: $60.68 (union)Lawrence: $59.54 (union)Madison: $57.66 (union)Marion: $57.66 (union)Marshall: $59.35 (union)Martin: $59.54 (union)Miami: $57.66 (union)Monroe: $57.66 (union)Montgomery: $57.66 (union)Morgan: $57.66 (union)Newton: $59.35 (union)Noble: $57.66 (union)Ohio: $57.66 (union)Orange: $57.65 (union)Owen: $57.66 (union)Parke: $57.66 (union)Perry: $56.99 (union)Pike: $59.59 (union)Porter: $60.68 (union)Posey: $57.66 (union)Pulaski: $59.35 (union)Putnam: $57.66 (union)Randolph: $57.66 (union)Ripley: $57.66 (union)Rush: $57.66 (union)St. Joseph: $60.68 (union)Scott: $10.24 (survey)Shelby: $57.66 (union)Spencer: $15.61 (survey)Starke: $59.35 (union)Steuben: $57.66 (union)Sullivan: $57.66 (union)Switzerland: $57.66 (union)Tippecanoe: $57.66 (union)Tipton: $57.66 (union)Union: $57.66 (union)Vanderburgh: $57.66 (union)Vermillion: $57.66 (union)Vigo: $57.66 (union)Wabash: $57.66 (union)Warren: $57.66 (union)Warrick: $57.66 (union)Washington: $57.65 (union)Wayne: $57.66 (union)Wells: $57.66 (union)White: $57.66 (union)Whitley: $57.66 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$57.66$58.10survey 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$30$40$50$60$70/hrSt. Joseph (South Bend): market median $29.66, prevailing (union) $60.68, gap +$31.02St. Joseph (South Bend)+$31.02Clark (Louisville): market median $27.17, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$30.49Clark (Louisville)+$30.49Delaware (Muncie): market median $28.79, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.87Delaware (Muncie)+$28.87Dearborn (Cincinnati): market median $28.90, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.76Dearborn (Cincinnati)+$28.76Allen (Fort Wayne): market median $29.04, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.62Allen (Fort Wayne)+$28.62Clay (Terre Haute): market median $29.12, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.54Clay (Terre Haute)+$28.54Howard (Kokomo): market median $29.33, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.33Howard (Kokomo)+$28.33Monroe (Bloomington): market median $29.50, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$28.16Monroe (Bloomington)+$28.16Elkhart (Elkhart): market median $31.50, prevailing (union) $59.35, gap +$27.85Elkhart (Elkhart)+$27.85Benton (Lafayette): market median $30.31, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$27.35Benton (Lafayette)+$27.35Posey (Evansville): market median $31.10, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$26.56Posey (Evansville)+$26.56Boone (Indianapolis): market median $31.28, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$26.38Boone (Indianapolis)+$26.38Bartholomew (Columbus): market median $32.59, prevailing (union) $57.66, gap +$25.07Bartholomew (Columbus)+$25.07Lake (Chicago): market median $38.68, prevailing (union) $60.68, gap +$22.00Lake (Chicago)+$22.00LaPorte (Michigan City): market median $44.22, prevailing (union) $60.68, gap +$16.46LaPorte (Michigan City)+$16.46
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in Indiana.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
LakeUnion CARP0413-002 2025-06-01$34.70$25.98$60.68IN20260001
LaPorteUnion CARP0413-002 2025-06-01$34.70$25.98$60.68IN20260001
PorterUnion CARP0413-002 2025-06-01$34.70$25.98$60.68IN20260001
St. JosephUnion CARP0413-002 2025-06-01$34.70$25.98$60.68IN20260001
DuboisUnion CARP0224-013 2025-04-01$33.09$26.50$59.59IN20260014
PikeUnion CARP0224-013 2025-04-01$33.09$26.50$59.59IN20260014
DaviessUnion CARP0224-008 2025-04-01$33.08$26.46$59.54IN20260008
KnoxUnion CARP0224-009 2025-04-01$33.08$26.46$59.54IN20260009
LawrenceUnion CARP0224-007 2025-04-01$33.08$26.46$59.54IN20260013
MartinUnion CARP0224-008 2025-04-01$33.08$26.46$59.54IN20260008
ElkhartUnion CARP0232-002 2025-06-01$33.42$25.93$59.35IN20260005
JasperUnion CARP0232-002 2025-06-01$33.42$25.93$59.35IN20260005
KosciuskoUnion CARP0232-002 2025-06-01$33.42$25.93$59.35IN20260005
LaGrangeUnion CARP0232-002 2025-06-01$33.42$25.93$59.35IN20260005
MarshallUnion CARP0232-002 2025-06-01$33.42$25.93$59.35IN20260005

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

Is construction work growing in Indiana?

187.2kConstruction jobsIndiana, 2026-08
+2.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025187kAug 2026
Construction employment in Indiana (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Indiana

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in Indiana?

The median carpenter in Indiana earned $30.23 an hour ($62,870 a year) in May 2025, 4% above the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $24.01–$36.95; the top 10% earn more than $43.60.

Where does Indiana rank for carpenter pay?

Indiana ranks 12th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $30.23 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for Indiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 93.3, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in Indiana?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 89 counties, with a typical package of $57.66 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in Indiana?

BLS counted 15,240 carpenters in Indiana in May 2025, 4.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.10; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Indiana 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.