Carpenter salary in Trenton, NJ
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Carpenters in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $65,690 a year, or $31.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $121,540. That's 3% more than the New Jersey median of $64,010.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $21.49/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 610
- After cost of living
- $63,670
- Median hourly pay
- $31.58/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +8%
- vs New Jersey median
- +3%
Apprentice, journeyman and top carpenter pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $44,700–$53,250$21.49–$25.60/hr | |
| Journeyman | $65,690$31.58/hr | |
| Top earners | $106,880–$121,540$51.38–$58.43/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Trenton, NJ compares
- Trenton ranks 2nd of 6 New Jersey metro areas for carpenter pay.
- Carpenters are less concentrated in the Trenton area than nationally: 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.59 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $121,540, is 2.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,700: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other New Jersey metro areas
Other trades in Trenton, NJ
Questions
- How much do carpenters make in Trenton, NJ?
- Carpenters in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $65,690 a year, or $31.58 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $121,540.
- How much do carpenters make an hour in Trenton, NJ?
- The median hourly wage is $31.58. The middle half earn between $25.60 and $51.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice carpenters make in Trenton, NJ?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.49 an hour ($44,700 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.60.
- How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Trenton, NJ?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $65,690 a year ($31.58 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $106,880–$121,540.
- Do carpenters make more in Trenton or New York?
- New York pays more: the median is $65,690 in Trenton and $74,300 in New York, a 12% difference.
- How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?
- The Trenton median of $65,690 is 3% more than the New Jersey median of $64,010.
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 45940 (Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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 (103.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures