Carpenters in the Modesto area earn a median of $73,730 a year, 31% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #32 of 390 metros for carpenter pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Merced and San Jose, but less in Stockton.
It's one of 25 California metros with published pay for this trade; see carpenters across California.
Carpenter pay in Modesto at a glance
- Carpenters in the Modesto, CA metro earn a median $73,730 a year ($35.45 an hour), #32 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $48,970 and $117,750.
- After local prices, that median buys what $70,821 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,378 a month, 22% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among carpenters in Modesto.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for carpenters here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (7.2%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.7% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 560 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $50,461 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $87/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Modesto scorecard for carpenters Our calculation
Grades compare Modesto with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($56,155).
Pay over time
The median pay for carpenters in the Modesto area went from $48,880 in 2020 to $73,730 in 2025, up 50.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +20.3% — a real raise.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Modesto Our calculation
Prices in Modesto run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $70,821 would in a typical place, ranking #34 of 384 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Modesto from this pay, local rent and prices.
What carpenters do
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
- Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
- Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
- Select and order lumber or other required materials.
- Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, carpenter jobs are projected to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 62,800 openings a year. About 25% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often carpenters deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most carpenters train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Modesto ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for carpenters.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for carpenters vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, carpenters have 165 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.9× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for carpenters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $89,200 | $77,154 | 14,010 |
| NapaCALIFORNIA · CA | $80,590 | $71,601 | 650 |
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $80,520 | $74,705 | 2,150 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $80,190 | $72,621 | 4,460 |
| Santa CruzCALIFORNIA · CA | $77,690 | $70,694 | 700 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $77,220 | $71,108 | 820 |
| VallejoCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,220 | $70,262 | 660 |
| Yuba CityCALIFORNIA · CA | $76,100 | $73,010 | 220 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,740 | $66,692 | 30,600 |
| Santa MariaCALIFORNIA · CA | $75,140 | $69,064 | 1,100 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Modesto area's unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just carpenters), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Modesto area is 30 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 22% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Modesto area's population grew 0.7% from 2020 to 2025 (553,702 → 557,719), ranking #266 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -5,617).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Modesto
The Modesto area has about 187,031 homes. 45% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is about as old as most; 6% were built in 2010 or later. 62% of households own their home, and the median home value is $468,300.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Modesto are up 49% from 2021 to 2025 (811 → 1,205).
In 2025 the Modesto area approved permits for 1,205 new homes (894 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 560 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $50,461 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Modesto compares among the best cities to start a carpenter business.
They compete with 203 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 1,632 workers in total). 67% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Licensed contractors
The Modesto area has 13 active C-5 Framing & Rough Carpentry contractor licenses, about 0.2 per 10,000 residents (#15 of 25 California metros, where #1 is the most crowded). That's the competition you'd face bidding your own jobs.
California Contractors State License Board, License Master file, October 2026. Counted by the county in each license's address.
Working outdoors in Modesto Government data
In an average year, Modesto has 90 days at 90°F or hotter (more than most metros; typical metro 33), including 18 at 100°F or more, 12 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 30 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 93°F and winter nights 40°F. That matters for carpenters: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Modesto City Co Airport, CA station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $73,730 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get carpenter pricing & estimate templates →Compare Modesto with another city →
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ToolBest cities for carpentersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in ModestoSee where it falls among local carpenters, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolModesto budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Modesto metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Modesto against every other metro for carpenters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.