How much do carpenters make in New Jersey in 2026?

The median carpenter in New Jersey earns $64,010 a year, which works out to $30.77 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits comfortably above the national median for the trade, reflecting New Jersey's high cost of living, dense construction activity, and strong demand for skilled finish and framing work across the state.

The bottom quarter of New Jersey carpenters — those just starting out, working residential rough framing, or in lower-wage pockets of the state — earn around $51,220 annually, or about $24.63 an hour. That's still a livable starting point, and most carpenters with two to four years of consistent site experience move past that threshold. The top quarter clears $80,430 a year, which is $38.67 an hour. Workers at that level typically have a decade or more on the tools, specialize in finish carpentry, millwork, or commercial framing, or hold supervisory roles on larger job sites.

New Jersey's geography creates real wage variation. The northern counties — Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union — sit inside the New York metro labor market, and wages there tend to track toward the upper end of the state range. Commercial and mixed-use construction in Newark, Jersey City, and the surrounding suburbs keeps demand for experienced carpenters consistently high. Central Jersey, including Middlesex and Monmouth counties, has seen sustained residential and light commercial growth that supports steady work but generally lands closer to the median. South Jersey tends to run softer on carpenter wages, though Atlantic City-area casino and hospitality renovation work can push pay higher for finish specialists.

Specialization moves the needle significantly. Rough framers and form carpenters on concrete work are in consistent demand on large commercial sites but often top out in the $65,000–$75,000 range without moving into supervision. Finish carpenters doing custom cabinetry, hardwood flooring, trim, and millwork in high-end residential communities — particularly along the Shore and in Morris and Somerset counties — regularly land in the top quartile or above it. Green building and prefab/modular construction are growing niches in the state, and carpenters who can read energy-efficiency specs or work with structural insulated panels are increasingly sought after.

Certification and credentials matter in New Jersey. The state requires a contractor license for those running their own shop, but journeymen working under licensed contractors don't need individual licensure. That said, OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 cards are effectively required on most commercial sites in the state, and carpenters who hold both have an easier time landing the better-paying union-affiliated or large GC jobs. Forklift and aerial lift certifications also add to your marketability on larger projects.

No union scale data was available for New Jersey carpenters at the time this page was compiled. In practice, union carpenters affiliated with the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters (NRCC) working on prevailing-wage public projects in New Jersey commonly earn above the 75th-percentile figures shown here when you factor in the full package — base wage plus fringe benefits like health insurance, pension contributions, and annuity funds. If you're weighing union versus non-union work, get the current collective bargaining agreement wage sheets from the relevant local to make an accurate comparison.

Hours and seasonality affect annual take-home pay in ways the BLS figures don't fully capture. New Jersey winters slow exterior framing and site work, and carpenters who don't line up interior finish work or who get laid off between projects may not hit 2,080 hours in a year. The most consistent earners are those who build relationships with general contractors running year-round commercial pipelines or who establish themselves as reliable finish carpenters for custom home builders with multi-month project timelines.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. They represent wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed, though self-employed carpenters in New Jersey who run their own contracting business frequently earn above the 75th percentile once job markup and overhead recovery are factored in.