Carpenter.
Philadelphia.
$63,000
median salary, 7% above the national average
$51,000 to $81,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Carpenter in Philadelphia earns a median of $63,000 in 2026. That is 7% above the national average. The range runs from $51,000 to $81,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Finish carpenters specializing in custom cabinetry, trim, and millwork earn 15 to 25% more than rough framing carpenters. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Carpenter in Philadelphia, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $61,780 for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 14,260 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$45,690
25th percentile
$48,190
Median
$61,780
75th percentile
$76,600
90th percentile
$98,470
Workers surveyed
14,260
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) rather than Carpenter specifically. The Philadelphiarange at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 47-2031Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $57,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$41,000
to $50,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$54,000
to $66,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$69,000
to $82,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$79,000
to $98,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$63,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $80,000
How Philadelphia compares.
Philadelphia, PA
$63,000
Cost of living: 9% above average
National Average
$59,000
Philadelphia is $4,000 above
Carpenter salary by city.
Salary by role in Philadelphia.
What you should know.
Here is what the Carpenter market actually looks like in Philadelphia. Philadelphia combines a robust healthcare and life sciences sector with established finance and higher education institutions. The city's pharmaceutical corridor is among the strongest in the country. Tech growth has accelerated, particularly in health tech and enterprise software, offering salaries that stretch further than in nearby New York. 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 Philadelphia, 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: pennsylvania has a flat 3.07% state income tax, but Philadelphia adds a 3.75% city wage tax for residents. This combined local burden is worth factoring into salary negotiations. When someone quotes you $63,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Account for the Philadelphia wage tax in your ask. Request a 5 to 8% premium over suburban offers to offset the city's local tax on all earned income. The range for Carpenters in Philadelphia runs from $51,000 to $81,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Carpenter salary in other cities.
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