Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in West Virginia

Median $23.42 an hour for 3,670 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.42/hrMedian hourly wageWest Virginia, May data
$48,710/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.26 – $33.6910th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,670Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Carpenter pay in West Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, West VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrWest Virginia: 10th $17.26 · 25th $18.36 · median $23.42 · 75th $28.94 · 90th $33.69West Virginia$23.42$17.26$33.69United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: West Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

West Virginia ranks 46th of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 42nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.17). 3,670 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.26 – $18.36$35,900 – $38,180roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$18.36 – $28.94$38,180 – $60,190the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$28.94 – $33.69$60,190 – $70,060the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in West Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrWashington DC: $29.23Washington DC$29.23Weirton: $28.00Weirton$28.00Hagerstown: $27.21Hagerstown$27.21Huntington: $25.00Huntington$25.00Winchester: $24.12Winchester$24.12Wheeling: $24.10Wheeling$24.10Morgantown: $23.64Morgantown$23.64Charleston: $23.59Charleston$23.59Beckley: $23.08Beckley$23.08Parkersburg: $22.64Parkersburg$22.64
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in West Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$22.67$29.23$43.5613,28025% above
Weirton$18.35$28.00$36.3516020% above
Hagerstown$18.46$27.21$33.9235016% above
Huntington$17.24$25.00$33.907807% above
Winchester$18.41$24.12$35.922703% above
Wheeling$17.91$24.10$33.921903% above
Morgantown$17.51$23.64$33.994501% above
Charleston$16.31$23.59$34.233701% above
Beckley$15.96$23.08$33.192501% below
Parkersburg$17.17$22.64$31.711703% below

Carpenter wages in West Virginia over time

West Virginia, 1999-2025West VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.12United States$23.42West Virginia
Median hourly wage for carpenters, West Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWest Virginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.95$25.02$15.353,500
2000$10.65$19.91$15.694,770
2001$11.98$21.78$16.094,700
2002$11.75$21.03$16.444,960
2003$11.60$20.30$16.475,450
2004$12.81$21.83$16.785,590
2005$13.45$22.17$17.116,380
2006$14.06$22.45$17.576,450
2007$14.79$22.96$18.116,070
2008$15.23$22.77$18.725,530
2009$15.46$23.20$18.984,530
2010$15.00$22.15$19.004,220
2011$15.46$22.13$19.243,680
2012$15.17$21.27$19.203,690
2013$16.56$22.89$19.473,340
2014$17.09$23.24$19.633,210
2015$17.96$24.40$20.243,220
2016$18.56$24.90$20.962,890
2017$18.57$24.39$21.712,620
2018$19.30$24.74$22.402,640
2019$20.06$25.26$23.242,820
2020$20.59$25.61$23.812,490
2021$18.42$21.89$23.202,850
2022$21.18$23.30$24.713,790
2023$22.10$23.35$27.092,820
2024$22.75$23.35$28.512,910
2025$23.42$23.42$29.123,670

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in West Virginia changed by -4.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in West Virginia

On federally funded construction in West Virginia, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 55 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $56.56 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $23.42.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WVBarbour: $51.15 (union)Berkeley: $49.65 (union)Boone: $59.35 (union)Braxton: $59.55 (union)Brooke: $56.56 (union)Cabell: $61.14 (union)Calhoun: $51.15 (union)Clay: $59.35 (union)Doddridge: $59.55 (union)Fayette: $59.35 (union)Gilmer: $59.55 (union)Grant: $49.65 (union)Greenbrier: $59.35 (union)Hampshire: $49.65 (union)Hancock: $56.56 (union)Hardy: $51.15 (union)Harrison: $59.55 (union)Jackson: $51.15 (union)Jefferson: $49.65 (union)Kanawha: $59.35 (union)Lewis: $59.55 (union)Lincoln: $59.35 (union)Logan: $51.15 (union)McDowell: $59.35 (union)Marion: $59.55 (union)Marshall: $56.56 (union)Mason: $59.35 (union)Mercer: $51.15 (union)Mineral: $49.65 (union)Mingo: $51.15 (union)Monongalia: $56.56 (union)Monroe: $59.35 (union)Morgan: $49.65 (union)Nicholas: $59.35 (union)Ohio: $56.56 (union)Pendleton: $51.15 (union)Pleasants: $59.55 (union)Pocahontas: $59.55 (union)Preston: $43.15 (union)Putnam: $59.35 (union)Raleigh: $59.35 (union)Randolph: $51.15 (union)Ritchie: $51.15 (union)Roane: $51.15 (union)Summers: $51.15 (union)Taylor: $59.55 (union)Tucker: $51.15 (union)Tyler: $59.55 (union)Upshur: $51.15 (union)Wayne: $61.14 (union)Webster: $51.15 (union)Wetzel: $59.55 (union)Wirt: $59.55 (union)Wood: $59.55 (union)Wyoming: $51.15 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$51.15$59.35$59.55
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)$0$20$40$60$80/hrWirt (Parkersburg): market median $22.64, prevailing (union) $59.55, gap +$36.91Wirt (Parkersburg)+$36.91Fayette (Beckley): market median $23.08, prevailing (union) $59.35, gap +$36.27Fayette (Beckley)+$36.27Cabell (Huntington): market median $25.00, prevailing (union) $61.14, gap +$36.14Cabell (Huntington)+$36.14Boone (Charleston): market median $23.59, prevailing (union) $59.35, gap +$35.76Boone (Charleston)+$35.76Monongalia (Morgantown): market median $23.64, prevailing (union) $56.56, gap +$32.92Monongalia (Morgantown)+$32.92Marshall (Wheeling): market median $24.10, prevailing (union) $56.56, gap +$32.46Marshall (Wheeling)+$32.46Brooke (Weirton): market median $28.00, prevailing (union) $56.56, gap +$28.56Brooke (Weirton)+$28.56Hampshire (Winchester): market median $24.12, prevailing (union) $49.65, gap +$25.53Hampshire (Winchester)+$25.53Berkeley (Hagerstown): market median $27.21, prevailing (union) $49.65, gap +$22.44Berkeley (Hagerstown)+$22.44Jefferson (Washington DC): market median $29.23, prevailing (union) $49.65, gap +$20.42Jefferson (Washington DC)+$20.42
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in West Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CabellUnion CARP0439-006 2024-06-01$33.80$27.34$61.14WV20260035
WayneUnion CARP0439-006 2024-06-01$33.80$27.34$61.14WV20260048
BraxtonUnion CARP0436-009 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260004
DoddridgeUnion CARP0436-001 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260005
GilmerUnion CARP0436-011 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260007
HarrisonUnion CARP0436-001 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260011
LewisUnion CARP0436-011 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260013
MarionUnion CARP0436-003 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260015
PleasantsUnion CARP0436-006 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260045
PocahontasUnion CARP0436-007 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260022
TaylorUnion CARP0436-001 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260027
TylerUnion CARP0436-001 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260029
WetzelUnion CARP0436-001 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260032
WirtUnion CARP0436-006 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260051
WoodUnion CARP0436-006 2024-12-01$33.05$26.50$59.55WV20260051

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

Is construction work growing in West Virginia?

36.1kConstruction jobsWest Virginia, 2026-08
-1.9%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k1990199520002005201020152020202536kAug 2026
Construction employment in West Virginia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in West Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in West Virginia?

The median carpenter in West Virginia earned $23.42 an hour ($48,710 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $18.36–$28.94; the top 10% earn more than $33.69.

Where does West Virginia rank for carpenter pay?

West Virginia ranks 46th of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $23.42 an hour, and 42nd after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in West Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 55 counties, with a typical package of $56.56 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in West Virginia?

BLS counted 3,670 carpenters in West Virginia in May 2025, 5.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.21; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, West Virginia 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.