Carpenter Salary in Florida

$24/hr

Discover Florida carpenter hourly rates, annual salaries, career levels, credentials, industries, and factors affecting earning potential.

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What Carpenter Earns in Florida

Carpenters construct, install, and repair structures and fixtures made from wood and comparable materials, including framing, concrete forms, doors, windows, flooring, and cabinets. Florida carpenters earn $17.75 per hour at the 10th percentile, $23.98 at the median, and $33.63 at the 90th percentile. These figures correspond to $36,910, $49,870, and $69,950 annually. The data comes from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates. Actual pay varies with experience, specialization, location, employer, union status, overtime, and project type. Florida also has substantial regional differences, with published carpenter median wages ranging from $22.53 in Tallahassee to $25.06 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.

Hourly rates by level in Florida

Rates typically increase with experience, skills, and responsibility.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$17.75–$21.41/hr
▲ 5.4% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$21.41–$28.79/hr
▲ 5.9% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$28.79–$33.63/hr
▲ 5.9% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Carpenter
Florida · Day Shift
Base rate$25.10
+ Scaffold User/Competent Person (OSHA-aligned)$1.00
+ NCCER Carpentry Level 1$0.75
+ First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)$0.25
Effective hourly$27.10
Straight · 40 hrs$1,084
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$325
Weekly gross$1,409
Annualised · 50 weeks
$70,460
8 OT hrs/week · Florida

Who pays the most in Florida

Commercial, residential, and specialty projects employ Florida carpenters.

01 / 06$23.98/hr

Commercial Construction

Commercial carpenters work on offices, retail properties, institutions, interiors, framing, fixtures, and larger building projects.

+ Larger projects
+ Specialized work
– Project deadlines
– Employer variation
02 / 06$23.98/hr

Residential Construction

Residential carpenters handle framing, remodeling, finish work, installations, repairs, and housing-related construction.

+ Broad job market
+ Varied specialties
– Starting wages
– Seasonal demand
03 / 06$23.98/hr

Industrial Construction

Industrial carpenters may work on structural components, concrete forms, equipment supports, and specialized construction environments.

+ Specialized skills
+ Complex projects
– Demanding conditions
– Travel requirements
04 / 06$23.98/hr

Institutional Construction

Institutional projects include schools, hospitals, public facilities, and other large structures requiring substantial construction and finish work.

+ Large projects
+ Stable sectors
– Strict schedules
– Site restrictions
05 / 06$23.98/hr

Heavy Construction

Heavy construction can involve structural carpentry, concrete forms, infrastructure projects, and other specialized construction activities.

+ Infrastructure work
+ Specialized experience
– Outdoor conditions
– Travel requirements
06 / 06$23.98/hr

Specialty Carpentry

Florida recognizes structural carpentry as a contractor specialty, covering specific structural carpentry work under state licensing rules.

+ Defined trade scope
+ Contractor pathway
– License requirements
– Scope limitations

Which states pay carpenters the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01Hawaii$41/hr
  2. 02Illinois$37.98/hr
  3. 03California$36.50/hr
  4. 04Massachusetts$36.16/hr
  5. 05Alaska$35.51/hr
  6. 06New York$34.77/hr
  7. 07Minnesota$31.22/hr
  8. 08Connecticut$30.80/hr
  9. 09New Jersey$30.77/hr
  10. 10Maryland$30.27/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
NCCER Carpentry Level 2+$1$2,080$1905 weeks
Scaffold User/Competent Person (OSHA-aligned)+$1$2,080$2105 weeks
NCCER Carpentry Level 1+$0.75$1,560$1906 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person (OSHA-aligned)+$0.75$1,560$1656 weeks
First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)+$0.25$520$707 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.25$520$859 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.50$1,040$1709 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $23.98/hr.

40 hr week
$959
No OT
50 hr week
$1,319
+$17,985/yr
60 hr week
$1,679
+$35,970/yr
70 hr week
$2,038
+$53,955/yr

Questions workers ask

Does Florida require a carpenter to hold a contractor license?▾
Working as an employee carpenter does not automatically require a contractor license, but businesses performing contracting work must meet Florida licensing requirements applicable to their work.
Does Florida license structural carpentry contractors?▾
Yes. Florida's Construction Industry Licensing Board recognizes Structural Carpentry as a specialty contractor category, including certified structural carpentry licenses.
How much experience is required for a Florida certified contractor license?▾
Florida generally requires four years of experience or an accepted combination of education and experience for certified contractor applicants, subject to category-specific requirements.
Can a carpenter work independently without a state contractor license?▾
It depends on the work. Florida identifies certain activities that do not require state licensure, while structural work can require an appropriate state or local contractor license.
Does Florida have a statewide prevailing wage for carpenters?▾
No. Florida is among the states without a state prevailing wage law, although federal Davis-Bacon requirements can apply to federally funded or assisted construction projects.
Can federal projects pay different carpenter rates in Florida?▾
Yes. Federal Davis-Bacon wage determinations can establish project-specific carpenter rates by county and construction type, and those rates should not be treated as statewide Florida wages.
Does Florida offer registered carpenter apprenticeships?▾
Yes. Registered apprenticeship programs provide structured on-the-job training and related instruction, allowing workers to develop trade skills while employed.
Is OSHA 30 a carpenter certification?▾
No. OSHA 30 is an Outreach Training course that results in a completion card. OSHA does not describe Outreach cards as professional certifications or licenses.

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The data comes from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 wage estimates.

Last updated October 5, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.