Carpenters in the Ponce area earn a median of $31,200 a year, 44% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #387 of 390 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Mayaguez and Guayama, but less in Arecibo.
It's one of 6 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see carpenter pay in Puerto Rico.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for carpenters here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Ponce scorecard for carpenters Our calculation
Grades compare Ponce 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 Ponce area went from $18,480 in 2020 to $31,200 in 2025, up 68.8%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's +34.7% — 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 Ponce
Typical rent is $512 a month for a 1-bedroom and $563 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 Ponce ↗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 Ponce area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 85% drive alone, 0% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Homes in Ponce
The Ponce area has about 130,986 homes. 54% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 4% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 71% of households own their home, and the median home value is $113,500.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
In 2025 the Ponce area approved permits for 155 new homes (153 single-family), or 0.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #382 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 minimum you'd need to bill to match a $31,200 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Ponce with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- 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.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, 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.
Report a data issue on this page
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Ponce, 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.