Carpenters Salary in California
Carpenters in California earn a median $75,920 a year, +25% against the national median of $60,580; they and rank 3rd of 51 states by median. Carpenters earn 30% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Nevada and Arizona range from $58,580 in Arizona to $62,870 in Oregon. California employs 100,750 carpenters, 5.53 per 1,000 jobs, the 1st largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.28 means the occupation is more concentrated in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.83 | $28.72 | $36.50 | $46.07 | $57.67 | $37.89 | 100,750 | 5.53 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $47,490 | $59,740 | $75,920 | $95,830 | $119,950 | $78,810 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $19.43 | $23.32 | $29.12 | $36.94 | $48.03 | $31.55 | 670,090 | – | – |
| Annual | $40,410 | $48,510 | $60,580 | $76,830 | $99,910 | $65,630 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 3rd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 1st of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.28
- Jobs per 1,000
- 5.53
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for carpenters, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $42.89 | $89,200 | $59,020 | $132,760 | 14,010 | 5.90 | 1.37 |
| Napa, CA | $38.75 | $80,590 | $54,870 | $133,250 | 650 | 8.41 | 1.95 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $38.71 | $80,520 | $51,070 | $121,490 | 2,150 | 10.49 | 2.43 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $38.55 | $80,190 | $55,210 | $133,860 | 4,460 | 3.93 | 0.91 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $37.35 | $77,690 | $48,220 | $114,300 | 700 | 7.12 | 1.65 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $37.12 | $77,220 | $48,460 | $128,350 | 820 | 6.73 | 1.56 |
| Vallejo, CA | $36.64 | $76,220 | $51,050 | $126,820 | 660 | 4.57 | 1.06 |
| Yuba City, CA | $36.59 | $76,100 | $48,160 | $116,880 | 220 | 4.38 | 1.02 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $36.41 | $75,740 | $46,860 | $117,430 | 30,600 | 4.88 | 1.13 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $36.12 | $75,140 | $46,980 | $105,640 | 1,100 | 5.49 | 1.27 |
| Merced, CA | $35.94 | $74,760 | $45,010 | $106,750 | 350 | 4.35 | 1.01 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $35.79 | $74,440 | $45,640 | $114,760 | 9,730 | 9.00 | 2.09 |
| El Centro, CA | $35.74 | $74,340 | $44,420 | $99,740 | 140 | 2.17 | 0.50 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $35.61 | $74,060 | $49,130 | $108,320 | 2,050 | 6.32 | 1.47 |
| Modesto, CA | $35.45 | $73,730 | $48,970 | $117,750 | 1,430 | 7.31 | 1.70 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $35.22 | $73,250 | $47,670 | $116,590 | 110 | 2.23 | 0.52 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $35.19 | $73,200 | $47,310 | $117,580 | 8,710 | 5.66 | 1.31 |
| Chico, CA | $34.75 | $72,290 | $47,290 | $116,130 | 390 | 4.99 | 1.16 |
| Redding, CA | $34.50 | $71,750 | $47,480 | $102,400 | 310 | 4.37 | 1.01 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $34.08 | $70,880 | $46,430 | $111,960 | 12,970 | 7.55 | 1.75 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $33.25 | $69,160 | $48,040 | $108,830 | 1,260 | 4.35 | 1.01 |
| Salinas, CA | $32.47 | $67,530 | $47,930 | $104,630 | 1,210 | 6.47 | 1.50 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $31.99 | $66,540 | $45,120 | $104,810 | 1,100 | 3.24 | 0.75 |
| Visalia, CA | $30.96 | $64,390 | $44,550 | $99,360 | 650 | 3.79 | 0.88 |
| Fresno, CA | $30.52 | $63,470 | $45,510 | $113,210 | 1,790 | 3.75 | 0.87 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $40.70 | $84,650 | $58,370 | $93,800 | 400 | 6.32 | 1.47 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $35.96 | $74,800 | $51,870 | $100,600 | 820 | 7.82 | 1.81 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $35.23 | $73,280 | $51,220 | $120,320 | 690 | 6.31 | 1.46 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Carpenters (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.