Carpenters in the State College area earn a median of $55,690 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #202 of 390 U.S. metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Altoona and Harrisburg, but less in Williamsport.
State College scorecard for carpenters Our calculation
Grades compare State College 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).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in State College Our calculation
Prices in the State College area run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $57,554 would in a typical place, ranking #213 of 384 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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.
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 State College ↗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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for carpenters.
Official Pennsylvania 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 PA metros for carpenters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $61,780 | $60,241 | 14,260 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $61,180 | $64,624 | 5,920 |
| YorkPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $61,160 | $63,708 | 1,190 |
| ScrantonPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $60,240 | $64,389 | 1,070 |
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $59,540 | $59,559 | 1,390 |
| HarrisburgPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $57,690 | $58,479 | 1,320 |
| AltoonaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $57,360 | $64,084 | 360 |
| EriePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $56,850 | $62,507 | 530 |
| LebanonPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $55,760 | $59,819 | 310 |
| State CollegePENNSYLVANIA · PA | $55,690 | $57,554 | 350 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The State College area's unemployment rate was 3.3% in 2025 (all workers, not just carpenters), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.4% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the State College area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 61% drive alone, 4% take transit and 14% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in State College are down 52% from 2021 to 2025 (654 → 314).
In 2025 the State College area approved permits for 314 new homes (255 single-family), or 2.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #294 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 210 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $48,981 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 45 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 170 workers in total). 76% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $55,690 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
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 State College with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.