Carpenter salary in Bismarck, ND
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Carpenters in the Bismarck, ND area earn a median of $54,670 a year, or $26.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,680 a year. Statewide, carpenters earn a median of $57,890; Bismarck is 6% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $17.90/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 510
- After cost of living
- $60,060
- Median hourly pay
- $26.28/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −10%
- vs North Dakota median
- −6%
Apprentice, journeyman and top carpenter pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $37,240–$47,320$17.90–$22.75/hr | |
| Journeyman | $54,670$26.28/hr | |
| Top earners | $63,870–$77,680$30.71–$37.34/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Bismarck, ND compares
- Bismarck has the lowest carpenter median of the 4 North Dakota metro areas with published pay.
- Carpenters are more concentrated in the Bismarck area than nationally: 7.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.7 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $77,680, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,240: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other North Dakota metro areas
Other trades in Bismarck, ND
Questions
- How much do carpenters make in Bismarck, ND?
- Carpenters in the Bismarck, ND area earn a median of $54,670 a year, or $26.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,680 a year.
- How much do carpenters make an hour in Bismarck, ND?
- The median hourly wage is $26.28. The middle half earn between $22.75 and $30.71 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice carpenters make in Bismarck, ND?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.90 an hour ($37,240 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.75.
- How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Bismarck, ND?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $54,670 a year ($26.28 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $63,870–$77,680.
- Do carpenters make more in Bismarck or Minot?
- Minot pays more: the median is $54,670 in Bismarck and $58,950 in Minot, a 7% difference.
- How does Bismarck pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?
- The Bismarck median of $54,670 is 6% less than the North Dakota median of $57,890.
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 13900 (Bismarck, ND). 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 (91.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures