Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in Iowa

Median $27.75 an hour for 5,770 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$27.75/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$57,710/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.77 – $36.8010th to 90th percentilehourly range
5,770Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Carpenter pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIowa: 10th $18.77 · 25th $22.91 · median $27.75 · 75th $31.69 · 90th $36.80Iowa$27.75$18.77$36.80United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

Iowa ranks 31st of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 11th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.61). 5,770 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.77 – $22.91$39,040 – $47,640roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.91 – $31.69$47,640 – $65,910the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$31.69 – $36.80$65,910 – $76,540the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDes Moines: $29.50Des Moines$29.50Davenport: $29.06Davenport$29.06Dubuque: $28.89Dubuque$28.89Cedar Rapids: $28.33Cedar Rapids$28.33Waterloo: $26.85Waterloo$26.85Ames: $26.75Ames$26.75Omaha: $25.39Omaha$25.39Sioux City: $24.57Sioux City$24.57Iowa City: $23.89Iowa City$23.89
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Des Moines$21.42$29.50$36.861,8106% above
Davenport$19.00$29.06$44.016705% above
Dubuque$19.19$28.89$37.462604% above
Cedar Rapids$20.30$28.33$35.285302% above
Waterloo$18.69$26.85$37.972603% below
Ames$18.81$26.75$31.772104% below
Omaha$19.43$25.39$35.623,2309% below
Sioux City$17.18$24.57$34.4935011% below
Iowa City$17.82$23.89$34.5636014% below

Carpenter wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.12United States$27.75Iowa
Median hourly wage for carpenters, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.13$25.37$15.358,150
2000$12.68$23.71$15.697,410
2001$13.37$24.30$16.097,590
2002$13.81$24.71$16.448,160
2003$13.73$24.02$16.478,160
2004$14.73$25.10$16.789,150
2005$15.48$25.52$17.118,320
2006$15.34$24.50$17.5710,760
2007$15.44$23.97$18.1110,320
2008$15.58$23.30$18.7210,170
2009$16.42$24.64$18.988,550
2010$16.48$24.33$19.007,180
2011$17.45$24.98$19.246,100
2012$17.56$24.62$19.205,680
2013$17.82$24.63$19.475,960
2014$18.36$24.97$19.636,880
2015$18.76$25.48$20.247,680
2016$19.06$25.57$20.968,180
2017$19.54$25.66$21.716,650
2018$19.83$25.42$22.405,910
2019$21.15$26.63$23.245,800
2020$21.83$27.16$23.816,300
2021$22.47$26.70$23.206,380
2022$23.06$25.37$24.716,320
2023$23.48$24.81$27.096,740
2024$26.00$26.68$28.516,650
2025$27.75$27.75$29.125,770

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Iowa changed by +8.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Iowa

On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 17 of the 99 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $56.93 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $29.29). 82 of the 99 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Adair County at $29.29). The market median for the state is $27.75.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, IAAdair: $29.29 (survey)Adams: $29.29 (survey)Allamakee: $31.10 (survey)Appanoose: $35.47 (survey)Audubon: $29.29 (survey)Benton: $55.32 (union)Black Hawk: $28.63 (survey)Boone: $29.29 (survey)Bremer: $29.74 (survey)Buchanan: $31.10 (survey)Buena Vista: $22.03 (survey)Butler: $31.10 (survey)Calhoun: $22.03 (survey)Carroll: $29.29 (survey)Cass: $29.29 (survey)Cedar: $16.04 (survey)Cerro Gordo: $20.88 (survey)Cherokee: $22.03 (survey)Chickasaw: $31.10 (survey)Clarke: $29.29 (survey)Clay: $22.03 (survey)Clayton: $55.30 (union)Clinton: $63.78 (union)Crawford: $23.63 (survey)Dallas: $56.93 (union)Davis: $35.58 (survey)Decatur: $29.29 (survey)Delaware: $55.30 (union)Des Moines: $24.26 (survey)Dickinson: $22.03 (survey)Dubuque: $55.30 (union)Emmet: $22.03 (survey)Fayette: $31.10 (survey)Floyd: $31.10 (survey)Franklin: $31.10 (survey)Fremont: $29.29 (survey)Greene: $29.29 (survey)Grundy: $28.72 (survey)Guthrie: $56.93 (union)Hamilton: $22.03 (survey)Hancock: $22.03 (survey)Hardin: $31.10 (survey)Harrison: $31.53 (survey)Henry: $35.58 (survey)Howard: $31.10 (survey)Humboldt: $22.03 (survey)Ida: $22.03 (survey)Iowa: $58.89 (union)Jackson: $35.58 (survey)Jasper: $35.47 (survey)Jefferson: $35.58 (survey)Johnson: $58.89 (union)Jones: $55.32 (union)Keokuk: $35.58 (survey)Kossuth: $22.03 (survey)Lee: $55.32 (union)Linn: $55.32 (union)Louisa: $35.58 (survey)Lucas: $29.29 (survey)Lyon: $22.03 (survey)Madison: $56.93 (union)Mahaska: $35.58 (survey)Marion: $35.58 (survey)Marshall: $35.58 (survey)Mills: $31.53 (survey)Mitchell: $31.10 (survey)Monona: $29.29 (survey)Monroe: $35.58 (survey)Montgomery: $29.29 (survey)Muscatine: $63.78 (union)O'Brien: $22.03 (survey)Osceola: $22.03 (survey)Page: $29.29 (survey)Palo Alto: $22.03 (survey)Plymouth: $22.03 (survey)Pocahontas: $22.03 (survey)Polk: $36.10 (survey)Pottawattamie: $31.27 (survey)Poweshiek: $35.58 (survey)Ringgold: $29.29 (survey)Sac: $22.03 (survey)Scott: $63.78 (union)Shelby: $29.29 (survey)Sioux: $22.03 (survey)Story: $34.95 (survey)Tama: $35.58 (survey)Taylor: $29.29 (survey)Union: $29.29 (survey)Van Buren: $35.58 (survey)Wapello: $33.35 (survey)Warren: $56.93 (union)Washington: $27.06 (survey)Wayne: $29.29 (survey)Webster: $22.03 (survey)Winnebago: $22.03 (survey)Winneshiek: $31.10 (survey)Woodbury: $50.15 (union)Worth: $31.10 (survey)Wright: $22.03 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$22.03$29.29$31.10$35.58survey 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)Prevailing (survey)$20$40$60$80/hrJohnson (Iowa City): market median $23.89, prevailing (union) $58.89, gap +$35.00Johnson (Iowa City)+$35.00Scott (Davenport): market median $29.06, prevailing (union) $63.78, gap +$34.72Scott (Davenport)+$34.72Dallas (Des Moines): market median $29.50, prevailing (union) $56.93, gap +$27.43Dallas (Des Moines)+$27.43Benton (Cedar Rapids): market median $28.33, prevailing (union) $55.32, gap +$26.99Benton (Cedar Rapids)+$26.99Dubuque (Dubuque): market median $28.89, prevailing (union) $55.30, gap +$26.41Dubuque (Dubuque)+$26.41Woodbury (Sioux City): market median $24.57, prevailing (union) $50.15, gap +$25.58Woodbury (Sioux City)+$25.58Story (Ames): market median $26.75, prevailing (survey) $34.95, gap +$8.20Story (Ames)+$8.20Harrison (Omaha): market median $25.39, prevailing (survey) $31.53, gap +$6.14Harrison (Omaha)+$6.14Bremer (Waterloo): market median $26.85, prevailing (survey) $29.74, gap +$2.89Bremer (Waterloo)+$2.89
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in Iowa.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ClintonUnion CARP0004-013 2025-05-01$34.25$29.53$63.78IA20260038
MuscatineUnion CARP0004-012 2025-05-01$34.25$29.53$63.78IA20260050
ScottUnion CARP0004-012 2025-05-01$34.25$29.53$63.78IA20260073
IowaUnion CARP1260-002 2025-05-01$34.14$24.75$58.89IA20260045
JohnsonUnion CARP1260-003 2025-05-01$34.14$24.75$58.89IA20260068
DallasUnion CARP0106-001 2025-05-01$35.50$21.43$56.93IA20260064
GuthrieUnion CARP0106-001 2025-05-01$35.50$21.43$56.93IA20260079
MadisonUnion CARP0106-001 2025-05-01$35.50$21.43$56.93IA20260079
WarrenUnion CARP0106-001 2025-05-01$35.50$21.43$56.93IA20260075
BentonUnion CARP0308-003 2024-05-01$31.17$24.15$55.32IA20260078
JonesUnion CARP0308-003 2024-05-01$31.17$24.15$55.32IA20260078
LeeUnion CARP1260-004 2024-05-01$31.17$24.15$55.32IA20260047
LinnUnion CARP0308-003 2024-05-01$31.17$24.15$55.32IA20260069
ClaytonUnion CARP0678-006 2025-05-01$30.55$24.75$55.30IA20260059
DelawareUnion CARP0678-006 2025-05-01$30.55$24.75$55.30IA20260059

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

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

93.8kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-08
+3.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202594kAug 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in Iowa?

The median carpenter in Iowa earned $27.75 an hour ($57,710 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $22.91–$31.69; the top 10% earn more than $36.80.

Where does Iowa rank for carpenter pay?

Iowa ranks 31st of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $27.75 an hour, and 11th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in Iowa?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 17 counties, with a typical package of $56.93 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in Iowa?

BLS counted 5,770 carpenters in Iowa in May 2025, 3.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.86; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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