How much do carpenters make an hour in Portland, ME?

The median hourly wage is $30.91. The middle half earn between $28.45 and $35.95 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice carpenters make in Portland, ME?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.27 an hour ($50,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.45.

How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Portland, ME?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $64,300 a year ($30.91 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $74,770–$79,020.

Do carpenters make more in Portland or Lewiston?

Portland pays more: the median is $64,300 in Portland and $60,950 in Lewiston, a 5% difference.

How does Portland pay compare with the rest of Maine?

The Portland median of $64,300 is 3% more than the Maine median of $62,160.

Carpenter salary in Portland, ME

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Carpenters in the Portland–South Portland, ME area earn a median of $64,300 a year, or $30.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $79,020 a year. That's 3% more than the Maine median of $62,160.

Median yearly pay$64,300

Bottom 10% under$50,480Top 10% over$79,020

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $24.27/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,230
After cost of living: $63,130
Median hourly pay: $30.91/hr
vs U.S. median: +6%
vs Maine median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 38860, Portland-South Portland, ME). Excludes self-employed carpenters. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Apprentice, journeyman and top carpenter pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice	$50,480–$59,180$24.27–$28.45/hr
Journeyman	$64,300$30.91/hr
Top earners	$74,770–$79,020$35.95–$37.99/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Portland, ME compares

Portland has the highest carpenter median of the 3 Maine metro areas with published pay.
Carpenters are more concentrated in the Portland area than nationally: 7.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.8 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,020, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $50,480: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Maine metro areas

Other trades in Portland, ME

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic Roofer Ironworker

Questions

How much do carpenters make in Portland, ME?: Carpenters in the Portland–South Portland, ME area earn a median of $64,300 a year, or $30.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $79,020 a year.
How much do carpenters make an hour in Portland, ME?: The median hourly wage is $30.91. The middle half earn between $28.45 and $35.95 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice carpenters make in Portland, ME?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $24.27 an hour ($50,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.45.
How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Portland, ME?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $64,300 a year ($30.91 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $74,770–$79,020.
Do carpenters make more in Portland or Lewiston?: Portland pays more: the median is $64,300 in Portland and $60,950 in Lewiston, a 5% difference.
How does Portland pay compare with the rest of Maine?: The Portland median of $64,300 is 3% more than the Maine median of $62,160.

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 38860 (Portland-South Portland, ME). 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 (101.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures