Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in Mississippi

Median $23.39 an hour for 2,950 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.39/hrMedian hourly wageMississippi, May data
$48,650/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$16.67 – $30.5010th to 90th percentilehourly range
2,950Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Carpenter pay in Mississippi: the full range

Wage percentiles, MississippiMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrMississippi: 10th $16.67 · 25th $18.47 · median $23.39 · 75th $25.23 · 90th $30.50Mississippi$23.39$16.67$30.50United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: Mississippi vs United States, May 2025.

Mississippi ranks 47th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.89). 2,950 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$16.67 – $18.47$34,670 – $38,420roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.47 – $25.23$38,420 – $52,480the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$25.23 – $30.50$52,480 – $63,440the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in Mississippi

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrMemphis: $24.34Memphis$24.34Gulfport: $23.78Gulfport$23.78Jackson: $23.72Jackson$23.72Hattiesburg: $23.25Hattiesburg$23.25
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in Mississippi, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Memphis$19.35$24.34$31.151,2404% above
Gulfport$17.57$23.78$30.895302% above
Jackson$17.52$23.72$28.926601% above
Hattiesburg$15.22$23.25$28.572101% below

Carpenter wages in Mississippi over time

Mississippi, 1999-2025MississippiUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.12United States$23.39Mississippi
Median hourly wage for carpenters, Mississippi vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearMississippi $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.38$23.92$15.356,810
2000$12.15$22.72$15.696,420
2001$12.18$22.14$16.096,560
2002$12.50$22.37$16.446,640
2003$12.36$21.63$16.476,920
2004$12.28$20.93$16.787,080
2005$12.53$20.66$17.116,630
2006$13.23$21.13$17.577,280
2007$13.96$21.68$18.116,140
2008$14.22$21.26$18.726,110
2009$13.89$20.84$18.984,630
2010$14.49$21.39$19.004,780
2011$15.02$21.50$19.244,660
2012$15.77$22.11$19.204,920
2013$15.81$21.85$19.474,240
2014$15.97$21.72$19.633,830
2015$16.20$22.00$20.243,530
2016$16.93$22.71$20.963,490
2017$17.61$23.13$21.713,120
2018$17.68$22.67$22.403,230
2019$17.86$22.49$23.242,970
2020$18.71$23.27$23.812,940
2021$18.52$22.00$23.202,920
2022$19.18$21.10$24.712,670
2023$21.04$22.23$27.092,440
2024$22.19$22.77$28.512,230
2025$23.39$23.39$29.122,950

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Mississippi changed by +6.3% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Mississippi

On federally funded construction in Mississippi, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 1 of the 82 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $44.81 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $16.88). 81 of the 82 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Adams County at $16.10). The market median for the state is $23.39.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, MSAdams: $16.10 (survey)Alcorn: $16.13 (survey)Amite: $16.10 (survey)Attala: $19.80 (survey)Benton: $20.77 (survey)Bolivar: $19.80 (survey)Calhoun: $16.13 (survey)Carroll: $19.80 (survey)Chickasaw: $16.13 (survey)Choctaw: $16.13 (survey)Claiborne: $16.10 (survey)Clarke: $16.88 (survey)Clay: $16.13 (survey)Coahoma: $19.80 (survey)Copiah: $20.57 (survey)Covington: $16.10 (survey)DeSoto: $20.77 (survey)Forrest: $23.88 (survey)Franklin: $16.10 (survey)George: $16.88 (survey)Greene: $16.88 (survey)Grenada: $19.80 (survey)Hancock: $25.57 (survey)Harrison: $15.90 (survey)Hinds: $19.75 (survey)Holmes: $19.80 (survey)Humphreys: $19.80 (survey)Issaquena: $16.10 (survey)Itawamba: $16.13 (survey)Jackson: $44.81 (union)Jasper: $16.88 (survey)Jefferson: $16.10 (survey)Jefferson Davis: $16.10 (survey)Jones: $16.88 (survey)Kemper: $16.88 (survey)Lafayette: $16.13 (survey)Lamar: $22.77 (survey)Lauderdale: $16.88 (survey)Lawrence: $16.10 (survey)Leake: $16.88 (survey)Lee: $16.13 (survey)Leflore: $19.80 (survey)Lincoln: $16.10 (survey)Lowndes: $16.13 (survey)Madison: $20.57 (survey)Marion: $16.10 (survey)Marshall: $20.77 (survey)Monroe: $16.13 (survey)Montgomery: $19.80 (survey)Neshoba: $16.88 (survey)Newton: $16.88 (survey)Noxubee: $16.13 (survey)Oktibbeha: $16.13 (survey)Panola: $19.80 (survey)Pearl River: $16.88 (survey)Perry: $22.77 (survey)Pike: $16.10 (survey)Pontotoc: $16.13 (survey)Prentiss: $16.13 (survey)Quitman: $19.80 (survey)Rankin: $20.80 (survey)Scott: $16.88 (survey)Sharkey: $16.10 (survey)Simpson: $20.57 (survey)Smith: $16.88 (survey)Stone: $16.88 (survey)Sunflower: $19.80 (survey)Tallahatchie: $19.80 (survey)Tate: $20.77 (survey)Tippah: $16.13 (survey)Tishomingo: $16.13 (survey)Tunica: $20.77 (survey)Union: $16.13 (survey)Walthall: $16.10 (survey)Warren: $16.10 (survey)Washington: $19.80 (survey)Wayne: $16.88 (survey)Webster: $16.13 (survey)Wilkinson: $16.10 (survey)Winston: $16.13 (survey)Yalobusha: $19.80 (survey)Yazoo: $16.10 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$16.10$16.13$16.88$19.80survey 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)$10$20$30$40$50/hrJackson (Gulfport): market median $23.78, prevailing (union) $44.81, gap +$21.03Jackson (Gulfport)+$21.03Forrest (Hattiesburg): market median $23.25, prevailing (survey) $23.88, gap +$0.63Forrest (Hattiesburg)+$0.63Rankin (Jackson): market median $23.72, prevailing (survey) $20.80, gap −$2.92Rankin (Jackson)−$2.92Benton (Memphis): market median $24.34, prevailing (survey) $20.77, gap −$3.57Benton (Memphis)−$3.57
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in Mississippi.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
JacksonUnion CARP1846-005 2025-01-01$31.36$13.45$44.81MS20260052
HancockSurvey SUMS2015-010 2017-04-03$23.31$2.26$25.57MS20260049
ForrestSurvey SUMS2015-009 2017-04-03$17.84$6.04$23.88MS20260048
LamarSurvey SUMS2015-017 2017-04-03$17.44$5.33$22.77MS20260056
PerrySurvey SUMS2015-017 2017-04-03$17.44$5.33$22.77MS20260056
RankinSurvey SUMS2015-014 2017-04-03$18.98$1.82$20.80MS20260053
BentonSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$20.77$0.00$20.77MS20260054
DeSotoSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$20.77$0.00$20.77MS20260054
MarshallSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$20.77$0.00$20.77MS20260054
TateSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$20.77$0.00$20.77MS20260054
TunicaSurvey SUMS2015-015 2017-04-03$20.77$0.00$20.77MS20260054
CopiahSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$18.60$1.97$20.57MS20260055
MadisonSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$18.60$1.97$20.57MS20260055
SimpsonSurvey SUMS2015-016 2017-04-03$18.60$1.97$20.57MS20260055
AttalaSurvey SUMS2015-007 2017-04-03$18.11$1.69$19.80MS20260046

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

Is construction work growing in Mississippi?

55.9kConstruction jobsMississippi, 2026-08
+3.7%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k70k1990199520002005201020152020202556kAug 2026
Construction employment in Mississippi (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Mississippi

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in Mississippi?

The median carpenter in Mississippi earned $23.39 an hour ($48,650 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $18.47–$25.23; the top 10% earn more than $30.50.

Where does Mississippi rank for carpenter pay?

Mississippi ranks 47th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $23.39 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for Mississippi's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.0, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in Mississippi?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 1 counties, with a typical package of $44.81 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in Mississippi?

BLS counted 2,950 carpenters in Mississippi in May 2025, 2.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.59; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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