TradeSalary

Carpenter salary in Asheville, NC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Carpenters in the Asheville, NC area earn a median of $51,290 a year, or $24.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,130. That's 4% more than the North Carolina median of $49,100.

Median yearly pay$51,290
Bottom 10% under$35,880Top 10% over$74,130
Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
$17.25/hr
Jobs in this area
750
After cost of living
$53,150
Median hourly pay
$24.66/hr
vs U.S. median
−15%
vs North Carolina median
+4%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 11700, Asheville, NC). 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

StageYearly payHourly pay
Apprentice$35,880–$43,180$17.25–$20.76/hr
Journeyman$51,290$24.66/hr
Top earners$61,720–$74,130$29.67–$35.64/hr

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

How Asheville, NC compares

  • Asheville ranks 3rd of 16 North Carolina metro areas for carpenter pay.
  • Carpenters hold about the same share of jobs in the Asheville area as nationally: 4.1 of every 1,000 jobs.
  • The 90th-percentile wage, $74,130, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $35,880: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Asheville, NC

Questions

How much do carpenters make in Asheville, NC?
Carpenters in the Asheville, NC area earn a median of $51,290 a year, or $24.66 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $74,130.
How much do carpenters make an hour in Asheville, NC?
The median hourly wage is $24.66. The middle half earn between $20.76 and $29.67 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice carpenters make in Asheville, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.25 an hour ($35,880 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.76.
How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Asheville, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $51,290 a year ($24.66 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $61,720–$74,130.
Do carpenters make more in Asheville or Virginia Beach?
Pay is about the same: the median is $51,290 in Asheville and $51,500 in Virginia Beach.
How does Asheville pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?
The Asheville median of $51,290 is 4% more than the North Carolina median of $49,100.

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 11700 (Asheville, NC). 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 (96.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures