Carpenter salary in State College, PA
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Carpenters in the State College, PA area earn a median of $55,690 a year, or $26.77 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,710. Statewide, carpenters earn a median of $59,370; State College is 6% below it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.92/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 350
- After cost of living
- $57,550
- Median hourly pay
- $26.77/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −8%
- vs Pennsylvania median
- −6%
Apprentice, journeyman and top carpenter pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $39,340–$47,530$18.92–$22.85/hr | |
| Journeyman | $55,690$26.77/hr | |
| Top earners | $71,660–$81,710$34.45–$39.28/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How State College, PA compares
- State College ranks 11th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for carpenter pay.
- Carpenters are more concentrated in the State College area than nationally: 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $81,710, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,340: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Pennsylvania metro areas
Other trades in State College, PA
Questions
- How much do carpenters make in State College, PA?
- Carpenters in the State College, PA area earn a median of $55,690 a year, or $26.77 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,710.
- How much do carpenters make an hour in State College, PA?
- The median hourly wage is $26.77. The middle half earn between $22.85 and $34.45 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice carpenters make in State College, PA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.92 an hour ($39,340 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.85.
- How much does a journeyman carpenter make in State College, PA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $55,690 a year ($26.77 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $71,660–$81,710.
- Do carpenters make more in State College or Philadelphia?
- Philadelphia pays more: the median is $55,690 in State College and $61,780 in Philadelphia, a 10% difference.
- How does State College pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?
- The State College median of $55,690 is 6% less than the Pennsylvania median of $59,370.
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 44300 (State College, PA). 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 (96.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures