Carpenters in the Arecibo area earn a median of $29,970 a year, 47% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #389 of 390 metros for carpenters nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Ponce and Mayaguez, but less in Aguadilla.
It's one of 6 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see carpenter pay in Puerto Rico.
Carpenter pay in Arecibo at a glance
- Carpenters in the Arecibo, PR metro earn a median $29,970 a year ($14.41 an hour), #389 of 390 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $24,640 and $34,780.
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $484 a month, 19% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
- About 110 carpenters work in the metro.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for carpenters here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
Arecibo scorecard for carpenters Our calculation
Grades compare Arecibo with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for carpenters in the Arecibo area went from $18,520 in 2020 to $29,970 in 2025, up 61.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +29.1% — 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
Rent in Arecibo
Typical rent is $484 a month for a 1-bedroom and $559 for a 2-bedroom.
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 Arecibo ↗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 Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
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 PR metros for carpenters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| GuayamaPUERTO RICO · PR | $33,410 | — | 30 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $33,160 | — | 130 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $31,200 | — | 240 |
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $30,530 | — | 2,350 |
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $29,970 | — | 110 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $29,750 | — | 200 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Arecibo area is 27 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Homes in Arecibo
The Arecibo area has about 85,980 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. 73% of households own their home, and the median home value is $129,500.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
In 2025 the Arecibo area approved permits for 253 new homes (240 single-family), or 1.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking #337 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $29,970 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 Arecibo with another city →
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ToolArecibo budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Arecibo 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 Arecibo against every other metro for carpenters. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.
Report a data issue on this page
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Arecibo, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for carpenters as a separate industry, so that section is left out.