Carpenter.

Where do you fall?

Salary trend

Estimated total: $64,000

Here is what the Carpenter market actually looks like in Madison. Madison is a growing tech hub anchored by the University of Wisconsin and Epic Systems, one of the largest health IT companies. The city consistently ranks among the best places to live and has a thriving startup ecosystem. Salaries are competitive relative to the modest cost of living. Finish carpenters specializing in custom cabinetry, trim, and millwork earn 15 to 25% more than rough framing carpenters. Union membership in metropolitan areas provides the strongest hourly rate floors. Carpenters with concrete formwork expertise for commercial high-rise projects command premium rates due to the physical demands and precision required.

Carpenter apprentices start at $30,000 to $36,000 during their three to four year training period. Journeyman carpenters earn $42,000 to $58,000, while foremen and lead carpenters reach $60,000 to $78,000. General contractors with carpentry backgrounds often earn $85,000 to $130,000 running their own operations. In Madison, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.

Base salary is not the full picture. Union carpenters receive benefits packages worth $12,000 to $20,000 annually including health insurance, pension, and training funds. Overtime on commercial projects adds $5,000 to $12,000 per year, with prevailing wage jobs offering the best hourly rates. And on the tax side: wisconsin's top income tax rate is 7.65%. Madison has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by the affordable cost of living and strong employer base. When someone quotes you $50,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Reference Epic Systems compensation benchmarks. Epic sets the salary standard for tech in Madison and most employers in the area compete against their packages. The range for Carpenters in Madison runs from $39,000 to $65,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

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Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.

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