Carpenters in the Milwaukee area earn a median of $63,910 a year, 14% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #69 of 390 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Janesville and Rockford, but less in Racine.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for carpenters here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (3.5%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 2,499 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $73,679 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $78/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Milwaukee scorecard for carpenters Our calculation
Grades compare Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee area went from $55,770 in 2020 to $63,910 in 2025, up 14.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -8.6% — a real pay cut.
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 Milwaukee Our calculation
Prices in Milwaukee run 3% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $65,929 would in a typical place, ranking #89 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.
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 Milwaukee ↗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 Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for carpenters.
Official Wisconsin 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 WI metros for carpenters
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| OshkoshWISCONSIN · WI | $84,430 | $90,854 | 650 |
| JanesvilleWISCONSIN · WI | $75,390 | $80,456 | 360 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $63,910 | $65,929 | 3,310 |
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $63,480 | $65,250 | 2,320 |
| SheboyganWISCONSIN · WI | $62,760 | $66,756 | 230 |
| Fond du LacWISCONSIN · WI | $62,550 | $68,254 | 340 |
| AppletonWISCONSIN · WI | $62,490 | $67,616 | 700 |
| RacineWISCONSIN · WI | $60,920 | $63,484 | 320 |
| Green BayWISCONSIN · WI | $60,320 | $64,800 | 860 |
| KenoshaWISCONSIN · WI | $60,120 | $59,455 | 310 |
See every metro in Wisconsin.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Milwaukee area's unemployment rate was 3.5% 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 Milwaukee area is 23 minutes each way, about the same as the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 73% drive alone, 2% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Milwaukee area's population grew 0.0% from 2020 to 2025 (1,574,549 → 1,575,010), ranking #295 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -7,922).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee area has about 707,653 homes. 66% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 8% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 61% of households own their home, and the median home value is $331,100.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Milwaukee are up 6% from 2021 to 2025 (2,929 → 3,105).
In 2025 the Milwaukee area approved permits for 3,105 new homes (1,734 single-family), or 2.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking #294 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 2,499 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $73,679 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 713 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 5,113 workers in total). 71% 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 $63,910 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 Milwaukee 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.