Do carpenters make more than plumbers?

Nationally, plumbers earn more: a median of $63,800 a year vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $3,220 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What is the pay range for carpenters vs plumbers?

Carpenters earn $48,510 to $76,830 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $60,580. Plumbers earn $50,190 to $85,110, with a median of $63,800 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Where do carpenters and plumbers earn the most?

Among the states TradesPays covers, carpenters earn the highest median in Illinois ($79,000 a year) and plumbers in Illinois ($99,950) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is there a union pay scale for carpenters or plumbers?

TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for plumbers; the highest is UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale at $131,040 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 plumbers?

BLS counts 670,090 carpenters nationwide vs 465,840 plumbers (OEWS May 2025).

Which trade pays more in my state?

It varies by state. The Carpenter and Plumber 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 Plumber: 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, plumbers out-earn carpenters nationally: the median is $63,800 a year for plumbers vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $3,220 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.

Carpenter vs Plumber pay, nationally

Measure	Carpenter	Plumber
Median pay	$60,580/yr	$63,800/yr
25th percentile	$48,510	$50,190
75th percentile	$76,830	$85,110
Workers nationwide (BLS)	670,090	465,840
Highest-paying state	Illinois ($79,000)	Illinois ($99,950)

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.

Plumber union scales on file

State · Local	Union scale	BLS median	Gap
California · UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale	$131,040	$72,830	+$58,210/yr
New York · UA Local 1 (New York) journeyman scale	$120,640	$77,490	+$43,150/yr
Massachusetts · UA Local 12 (Boston) journeyman scale	$112,320	$93,880	+$18,440/yr
Illinois · UA Local 130 (Chicago) journeyman scale	$108,160	$99,950	+$8,210/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 plumber median: positive means carpenters earn more in that metro.

Metro	Carpenter	Plumber	Gap
New York, NY	$74,300	$78,610	−$4,310/yr
Los Angeles, CA	$75,740	$71,110	+$4,630/yr
Chicago, IL	$80,440	$103,380	−$22,940/yr
Washington, DC	$60,800	$71,860	−$11,060/yr
Phoenix, AZ	$60,320	$63,750	−$3,430/yr
Boston, MA	$75,210	$96,760	−$21,550/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 →Plumber pay by state →Pick a state and compare →

Carpenter vs Plumber: FAQ

Do carpenters make more than plumbers?: Nationally, plumbers earn more: a median of $63,800 a year vs $60,580 for carpenters, a gap of $3,220 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the pay range for carpenters vs plumbers?: Carpenters earn $48,510 to $76,830 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $60,580. Plumbers earn $50,190 to $85,110, with a median of $63,800 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do carpenters and plumbers earn the most?: Among the states TradesPays covers, carpenters earn the highest median in Illinois ($79,000 a year) and plumbers in Illinois ($99,950) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is there a union pay scale for carpenters or plumbers?: TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for plumbers; the highest is UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale at $131,040 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 plumbers?: BLS counts 670,090 carpenters nationwide vs 465,840 plumbers (OEWS May 2025).
Which trade pays more in my state?: It varies by state. The Carpenter and Plumber 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

Plumbers earn the most in Illinois ($99,950 median).

Want the whole play, not just the number?

The full plumber 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).