Carpenter salary in Lexington, KY
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Carpenters in the Lexington–Fayette, KY area earn a median of $52,030 a year, or $25.01 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $75,340. Statewide, carpenters earn a median of $52,680; Lexington is 1% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.11/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 1,200
- After cost of living
- $56,010
- Median hourly pay
- $25.01/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −14%
- vs Kentucky median
- −1%
Apprentice, journeyman and top carpenter pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $37,660–$47,080$18.11–$22.63/hr | |
| Journeyman | $52,030$25.01/hr | |
| Top earners | $61,590–$75,340$29.61–$36.22/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Lexington, KY compares
- Lexington ranks 5th of 9 Kentucky metro areas for carpenter pay.
- Carpenters hold about the same share of jobs in the Lexington area as nationally: 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $75,340, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,660: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Kentucky metro areas
Other trades in Lexington, KY
Questions
- How much do carpenters make in Lexington, KY?
- Carpenters in the Lexington–Fayette, KY area earn a median of $52,030 a year, or $25.01 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $75,340.
- How much do carpenters make an hour in Lexington, KY?
- The median hourly wage is $25.01. The middle half earn between $22.63 and $29.61 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice carpenters make in Lexington, KY?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.11 an hour ($37,660 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.63.
- How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Lexington, KY?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $52,030 a year ($25.01 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $61,590–$75,340.
- Do carpenters make more in Lexington or Cincinnati?
- Cincinnati pays more: the median is $52,030 in Lexington and $60,110 in Cincinnati, a 13% difference.
- How does Lexington pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?
- The Lexington median of $52,030 is 1% less than the Kentucky median of $52,680.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2031 (Carpenters), area code 30460 (Lexington-Fayette, KY). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed carpenters and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (92.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures