How much do carpenters make in Washington in 2026?

Carpenters in Washington state earn a median wage of $74,190 per year, which works out to $35.67 per hour. That puts Washington carpenters comfortably above the national median for the trade. If you're just entering the field or working in a lower-paying region of the state, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile: $60,630 per year, or about $29.15 per hour. Experienced journeymen on busy commercial or industrial projects can push into the 75th percentile at $92,660 annually — roughly $44.55 per hour. All figures come from BLS OEWS data released May 2025.

The gap between the bottom and top of that range is significant. A carpenter moving from the 25th to the 75th percentile picks up more than $32,000 per year. That spread reflects real differences in specialization, employer type, project scale, and geography — not just seniority on a clock.

Washington's construction market is concentrated heavily in the Puget Sound corridor. Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, and the surrounding King and Pierce County suburbs drive the bulk of commercial and multifamily residential work in the state. Carpenters working on high-rise or large commercial projects in those metro areas tend to sit at or above the median. Carpenters in smaller cities like Yakima, Wenatchee, or Spokane typically earn closer to the 25th percentile, reflecting both lower local cost of living and less large-scale commercial demand.

Specialization moves the needle fast. Finish carpenters and cabinet installers working in high-end residential or commercial interiors often command premium rates, especially in the Seattle market where renovation and buildout work for tech offices and luxury housing has remained heavy. Concrete form carpenters on infrastructure and industrial projects — bridges, data centers, warehouses — are consistently at the top of the pay band. Framing carpenters on production homebuilding tend to fall in the middle of the range, with productivity bonuses sometimes bridging the gap.

No union scale was available for this trade in Washington at the time of publication. That said, union affiliation through the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters does exist in this market, and union members on prevailing-wage public work projects can see total package values — wages plus benefits — that exceed the figures shown here. If you're weighing union vs. non-union shops, factor in health coverage and pension contributions when comparing total compensation, not just the hourly rate on a pay stub.

Overtime is a real income driver in this trade. A carpenter earning the median $35.67 per hour who works 10 hours of overtime per week at time-and-a-half would add roughly $27,700 to their annual take-home over a 52-week year, pushing effective annual earnings well past $100,000. Commercial and industrial projects in Washington — particularly in the data center and advanced manufacturing sectors that have expanded significantly around Quincy, Wenatchee, and eastern King County — are known for heavy overtime schedules during peak construction phases.

Apprentices entering through a registered program typically start at 50–60% of journeyman scale and receive graduated increases as they complete each training level. By the time an apprentice finishes a four-year program, their wage should be approaching or meeting full journeyman rates. The BLS figures here represent all employed carpenters across experience levels, so a new apprentice will be below the 25th percentile figure initially, while a seasoned foreman or lead carpenter on a large commercial site will likely exceed the 75th percentile.

To sharpen your own estimate, think about three things: the type of work you do (finish, framing, form, rough commercial), the size and type of employer (small residential contractor vs. large commercial GC), and your location within Washington. Those three factors together explain most of the variation between $29.15 and $44.55 per hour in this state.