Do carpenters make more than electricians?

Nationally, electricians earn more: a median of $63,190 a year vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $2,610 (about 4%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What is the pay range for carpenters vs electricians?

Carpenters earn $48,510 to $76,830 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $60,580. Electricians earn $49,430 to $83,940, with a median of $63,190 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Where do carpenters and electricians earn the most?

Among the states TradesPays covers, carpenters earn the highest median in Illinois ($79,000 a year) and electricians in Illinois ($99,560) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is there a union pay scale for carpenters or electricians?

TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for electricians; the highest is IBEW Local 3 (New York) journeyman scale at $122,720 a year (2024 CBA base scale). No public union scale for carpenters is on file, so that side of the comparison stays BLS-only rather than estimated.

Which trade employs more people, carpenters or electricians?

BLS counts 757,220 electricians nationwide vs 670,090 carpenters (OEWS May 2025).

Which trade pays more in my state?

It varies by state. The Carpenter and Electrician pay-by-state tables on TradesPays list the median in every covered state, and the compare tool at tradespays.com/compare puts both trades side by side in any state.

Carpenter vs Electrician: which trade pays more?

Both trades side by side on the same BLS OEWS May 2025 data: national percentiles, union scales where a local publishes one, and the metros where both are measured.

In 2026, electricians out-earn carpenters nationally: the median is $63,190 a year for electricians vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $2,610 (about 4%) (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.

Carpenter vs Electrician pay, nationally

Measure	Carpenter	Electrician
Median pay	$60,580/yr	$63,190/yr
25th percentile	$48,510	$49,430
75th percentile	$76,830	$83,940
Workers nationwide (BLS)	670,090	757,220
Highest-paying state	Illinois ($79,000)	Illinois ($99,560)

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Wages are nominal, not cost-of-living adjusted.

Union scales, where a local publishes one

Verified journeyman base scales (2024 CBA) next to the BLS all-worker median, which blends union and non-union pay. Overtime and the benefits package sit on top of the base scale.

Electrician union scales on file

State · Local	Union scale	BLS median	Gap
New York · IBEW Local 3 (New York) journeyman scale	$122,720	$78,750	+$43,970/yr
Pennsylvania · IBEW Local 98 (Philadelphia) journeyman scale	$108,160	$67,600	+$40,560/yr
California · IBEW Local 11 (Los Angeles) journeyman scale	$107,120	$76,160	+$30,960/yr
Texas · IBEW Local 716 (Houston) journeyman scale	$83,200	$58,570	+$24,630/yr
Michigan · IBEW Local 58 (Detroit) journeyman scale	$91,520	$76,270	+$15,250/yr

No public union scale is on file for carpenters, so that side of the union comparison is left out rather than estimated.

Where both trades are measured: metro by metro

Metros where BLS publishes a median for both trades, ranked by combined employment. Gap is the carpenter median minus the electrician median: positive means carpenters earn more in that metro.

Metro	Carpenter	Electrician	Gap
New York, NY	$74,300	$79,020	−$4,720/yr
Los Angeles, CA	$75,740	$73,810	+$1,930/yr
Chicago, IL	$80,440	$102,350	−$21,910/yr
Dallas, TX	$48,740	$59,010	−$10,270/yr
Phoenix, AZ	$60,320	$61,210	−$890/yr
Washington, DC	$60,800	$75,930	−$15,130/yr

Compare by state

National medians hide big state swings. Every covered state's median for each trade is on its hub, and the compare tool puts both trades side by side in any state.

Carpenter pay by state →Electrician pay by state →Pick a state and compare →

Carpenter vs Electrician: FAQ

Do carpenters make more than electricians?: Nationally, electricians earn more: a median of $63,190 a year vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $2,610 (about 4%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the pay range for carpenters vs electricians?: Carpenters earn $48,510 to $76,830 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $60,580. Electricians earn $49,430 to $83,940, with a median of $63,190 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do carpenters and electricians earn the most?: Among the states TradesPays covers, carpenters earn the highest median in Illinois ($79,000 a year) and electricians in Illinois ($99,560) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is there a union pay scale for carpenters or electricians?: TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for electricians; the highest is IBEW Local 3 (New York) journeyman scale at $122,720 a year (2024 CBA base scale). No public union scale for carpenters is on file, so that side of the comparison stays BLS-only rather than estimated.
Which trade employs more people, carpenters or electricians?: BLS counts 757,220 electricians nationwide vs 670,090 carpenters (OEWS May 2025).
Which trade pays more in my state?: It varies by state. The Carpenter and Electrician pay-by-state tables on TradesPays list the median in every covered state, and the compare tool at tradespays.com/compare puts both trades side by side in any state.

Already in one of these trades?

The negotiation kit is built per trade and state. Below is each trade's highest-paying covered state; for your own state, start from the pay-by-state list on the trade's page above.

Carpenters earn the most in Illinois ($79,000 median).

Want the whole play, not just the number?

The full carpenter kit for Illinois: pay by metro, the union scale where one is public, three ready scripts, and answers to the pushback you will hear. $19, one time.

Get the full kit for $19

Electricians earn the most in Illinois ($99,560 median).

Want the whole play, not just the number?

The full electrician kit for Illinois: pay by metro, the union scale where one is public, three ready scripts, and answers to the pushback you will hear. $19, one time.

Get the full kit for $19

Other trade matchups

The amount and bar show each matchup's national median pay gap (BLS OEWS May 2025).