How much do carpenters make an hour in Appleton, WI?

The median hourly wage is $30.04. The middle half earn between $24.40 and $40.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice carpenters make in Appleton, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.96 an hour ($45,670 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.40.

How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Appleton, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $62,490 a year ($30.04 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $84,930–$96,290.

Do carpenters make more in Appleton or Oshkosh?

Oshkosh pays more: the median is $62,490 in Appleton and $84,430 in Oshkosh, a 26% difference.

How does Appleton pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Appleton median of $62,490 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $61,660.

Carpenter salary in Appleton, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Carpenters in the Appleton, WI area earn a median of $62,490 a year, or $30.04 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,290. Statewide, carpenters earn a median of $61,660; Appleton is 1% above it.

Median yearly pay$62,490

Bottom 10% under$45,670Top 10% over$96,290

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $21.96/hr
Jobs in this area: 700
After cost of living: $67,620
Median hourly pay: $30.04/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs Wisconsin median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 11540, Appleton, WI). 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

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice	$45,670–$50,740$21.96–$24.40/hr
Journeyman	$62,490$30.04/hr
Top earners	$84,930–$96,290$40.83–$46.29/hr

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

How Appleton, WI compares

Appleton ranks 8th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for carpenter pay.
Carpenters are more concentrated in the Appleton area than nationally: 5.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $96,290, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,670: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Appleton, WI

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Elevator mechanic Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic Roofer Ironworker Millwright

Questions

How much do carpenters make in Appleton, WI?: Carpenters in the Appleton, WI area earn a median of $62,490 a year, or $30.04 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,290.
How much do carpenters make an hour in Appleton, WI?: The median hourly wage is $30.04. The middle half earn between $24.40 and $40.83 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice carpenters make in Appleton, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.96 an hour ($45,670 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.40.
How much does a journeyman carpenter make in Appleton, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $62,490 a year ($30.04 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $84,930–$96,290.
Do carpenters make more in Appleton or Oshkosh?: Oshkosh pays more: the median is $62,490 in Appleton and $84,430 in Oshkosh, a 26% difference.
How does Appleton pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Appleton median of $62,490 is 1% more than the Wisconsin median of $61,660.

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 11540 (Appleton, WI). 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 (92.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures