Helpers--Carpenters
Help carpenters by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.
What it pays
Helpers--Carpenters earn a median of $21.05/hr — about $44,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.22/hr; the top 10% earn $27.73/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Helpers--Carpenters earn a median of $21.05/hr — about $44,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.22/hr; the top 10% earn $27.73/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Clean work areas, machines, or equipment, to maintain a clean and safe job site.
- Fasten timbers or lumber with glue, screws, pegs, or nails and install hardware.
- Perform tie spacing layout and measure, mark, drill or cut.
- Select tools, equipment, or materials from storage and transport items to work site.
- Drill holes in timbers or lumber.
- Cut timbers, lumber, or paneling to specified dimensions.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Less than high school. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 1.8% of helpers--carpenters are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Electricians
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers
- Helpers--Roofers
Quick questions
- How much does a helpers--carpenter make?
- The median pay is $21.05 per hour — roughly $44,000 a year, with the real range running from about $15.22/hr (10th percentile) to $27.73/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a helpers--carpenter?
- The typical entry-level education is: Less than high school. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a helpers--carpenter actually do all day?
- Clean work areas, machines, or equipment, to maintain a clean and safe job site. Fasten timbers or lumber with glue, screws, pegs, or nails and install hardware. Perform tie spacing layout and measure, mark, drill or cut.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.