Salary guide › North Carolina › Carpenter and Framer
Carpenter and Framer salary in North Carolina (2025)
Most carpenters and framers in North Carolina earn $20.27 to $28.27 an hour.
The typical carpenter and framer salary in North Carolina is $23.61 an hour, or $49,100 a year. That is 19% less than the national typical pay of $29.12. About 13,480 people do this work in North Carolina. BLS counts framers inside Carpenters.
Pay by job level
| Job | Hourly | Yearly | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $19.49 | $40,540 | BLS median pay for Helpers, Carpenters. BLS has no apprentice category. Apprentices often start near helper pay, then step up each year toward journeyman pay. Medium |
| Journeyman | $23.61 | $49,100 | Typical pay in the trade. BLS does not split pay by license level. Medium |
| Foreman | $36.19 | $75,270 | BLS pay for construction supervisors across all trades. Medium |
| Superintendent | $51.27 | $106,640 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Project Manager | $51.27 | $106,640 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Estimator | $35.93 | $74,730 | BLS pay for cost estimators in all industries. Medium |
| Owner Operator | Depends on the business | There is no wage data for owners. They earn from business profit, not a wage. None | |
High exact government figure Medium closest government category Low estimate, method shown None no data
Best paying areas for carpenters and framers in North Carolina
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $24.78 | $51,540 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $24.76 | $51,500 |
| Asheville, NC | $24.66 | $51,290 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $24.50 | $50,960 |
| Wilmington, NC | $24.44 | $50,830 |
Typical means the median: half earn more, half earn less. Only areas where the government publishes a figure are listed.
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See North Carolina exam prepUnion and prevailing wage pay for carpenters and framers in North Carolina
Carpenter, Mecklenburg County: $23.73 an hour + $5.42 benefits = $29.15 total. High
This is the legal minimum on federal building jobs here, set from a 2023 wage survey. It is not a union rate.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NC20260008 for Mecklenburg County. Other counties have their own rates, and North Carolina may set its own for state jobs (list of state laws).
Union and prevailing figures include benefits and apply to specific jobs. The typical pay above is wages only, for everyone in the trade. They are not directly comparable.
How to earn more
- Get licensed. A license lets you bid work in your own name. See North Carolina exam prep.
- Know the steps. Experience, application, exams and what comes after. How to get licensed in North Carolina.
- Run your own company. Many states also require a business and law exam. Business exam prep.
- Move up to foreman. Construction supervisors in North Carolina typically earn $36.19 an hour.
Common questions
How much does a carpenter and framer make in North Carolina?
Typical pay is $23.61 an hour, or $49,100 a year, based on government data for May 2025. Most earn between $20.27 and $28.27 an hour. That includes union and non union workers.
What is the starting pay for a carpenter and framer apprentice in North Carolina?
Expect about $19.49 an hour to start. That is typical pay for helpers in this trade. Apprentice pay then rises each year. The local union or the North Carolina apprenticeship agency publishes the exact steps.
Do union carpenters and framers make more in North Carolina?
We have no official union rate for this trade in North Carolina. Government pay figures mix union and non union workers, so they cannot answer this alone. Ask the local union for its wage sheet and compare wages plus benefits.
What is the prevailing wage for carpenter and framer in North Carolina?
On federal building jobs in Mecklenburg County, the prevailing wage for the carpenter classification is $23.73 an hour + $5.42 benefits = $29.15 total (wage determination NC20260008). Other counties differ, and North Carolina may set its own rate for state jobs.
What is the highest paying city for carpenters and framers in North Carolina?
Durham-Chapel Hill, NC pays the most, with typical pay of $24.78 an hour, based on government data for May 2025. Smaller areas may be missing because the government does not publish a figure for them.
Ready to get licensed in North Carolina? Start your carpenter and framer exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
See North Carolina exam prepSee the full numbers and sources
Carpenter and Framer salary in North Carolina: full pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.13 | $35,620 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $20.27 | $42,150 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $23.61 | $49,100 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $28.27 | $58,810 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $30.36 | $63,160 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
A percentile shows where pay falls: the 10th percentile means 10% earn less. BLS publishes hourly and yearly figures; yearly assumes 2,080 paid hours (40 hours times 52 weeks). $115.00+ means BLS reports it only as at least that amount.
What affects carpenter and framer pay in North Carolina
- Metro area. Durham-Chapel Hill, NC pays a median of $24.78 an hour, 5% above the North Carolina median.
- Experience and skill. In North Carolina, the top 10% earn at least $30.36 an hour, while the bottom 10% earn $17.13 or less. That gap of $13.23 an hour reflects experience, specialty and responsibility.
- State market. The North Carolina median is 19% below the national median of $29.12 for Carpenters.
- Overtime. BLS figures are straight time pay. Overtime, shift pay and bonuses are not included, so total earnings can be higher.
- Union status and public work. Union contracts and prevailing wage jobs set their own rates. Those are separate from the market figures above.
- License classification. A contractor license lets you bid and run your own jobs instead of earning a wage.
Comparing union, prevailing and market pay
These are not directly comparable. A union total package includes benefits, a prevailing wage applies only to covered public jobs, and the BLS market wage is straight time pay for everyone in the trade.
Methodology
Market figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, state and metro tables, May 2025. We never average across sources or occupations. Full methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state, metro and national tables. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NC20260008 (Davis-Bacon, building), Mecklenburg, revision 1. sam.gov
- U.S. Department of Labor, state prevailing wage laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
Salary information on Contractor Pathway is an estimate for educational purposes only. Figures come from public sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state prevailing wage determinations, federal wage determinations, and published union wage sheets. Actual pay depends on your employer, experience, local market, license classification, overtime, benefits, and the date of the data. Market wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes both union and non union workers. Union, prevailing wage, and market figures come from different sources and are not directly comparable. Some positions do not have official wage data, and those figures are marked as estimates with the method shown. This tool does not guarantee any wage, job offer, or income. Always confirm current rates with your local union, your state labor agency, or a prospective employer before making career or business decisions. Contractor Pathway is not responsible for decisions made based on these estimates.