TradeSalary

Carpenter salary in Winston, NC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Carpenters in the Winston–Salem, NC area earn a median of $49,940 a year, or $24.01 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $69,050 a year. Statewide, carpenters earn a median of $49,100; Winston is 2% above it.

Median yearly pay$49,940
Bottom 10% under$35,600Top 10% over$69,050
Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
$17.11/hr
Jobs in this area
510
After cost of living
$54,260
Median hourly pay
$24.01/hr
vs U.S. median
−18%
vs North Carolina median
+2%
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 49180, Winston-Salem, 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$35,600–$43,580$17.11–$20.95/hr
Journeyman$49,940$24.01/hr
Top earners$57,790–$69,050$27.79–$33.20/hr

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

How Winston, NC compares

  • Winston ranks 7th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for carpenter pay.
  • Carpenters are less concentrated in the Winston area than nationally: 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.44 times the U.S. share.
  • The 90th-percentile wage, $69,050, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $35,600: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Winston, NC

Questions

How much do carpenters make in Winston, NC?
Carpenters in the Winston–Salem, NC area earn a median of $49,940 a year, or $24.01 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $69,050 a year.
How much do carpenters make an hour in Winston, NC?
The median hourly wage is $24.01. The middle half earn between $20.95 and $27.79 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice carpenters make in Winston, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.11 an hour ($35,600 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.95.
How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Winston, NC?
BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $49,940 a year ($24.01 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $57,790–$69,050.
Do carpenters make more in Winston or Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $49,940 in Winston and $51,500 in Virginia Beach, a 3% difference.
How does Winston pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?
The Winston median of $49,940 is 2% 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 49180 (Winston-Salem, 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 (92.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures