Carpenter Salary in Missouri

$29/hr

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

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What Carpenter Earns in Missouri

Carpenters construct, install, and repair building frameworks, concrete forms, stairs, doors, windows, flooring, cabinets, and other structures made from wood and comparable materials. Missouri carpenters earn $18.60 per hour at the 10th percentile, $29.25 at the median, and $46.30 at the 90th percentile, based on BLS latest wage data. These figures correspond to $38,700, $60,840, and $96,310 annually. Actual pay varies with experience, specialty, location, employer, union status, overtime, and project type. Missouri also has substantial regional differences, with the median ranging from $23.35 in North Missouri nonmetropolitan areas to $34.13 in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Hourly rates by level in Missouri

Rates typically increase with experience, skills, and responsibility.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.60–$22.85/hr
▼ 0.51% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$22.85–$38.74/hr
▼ 0.51% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$38.74–$46.30/hr
▼ 0.51% 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
Missouri · Day Shift
Base rate$30.80
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.25
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.50
+ NCCER Carpentry Level 2$1.00
Effective hourly$32.55
Straight · 40 hrs$1,302
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$391
Weekly gross$1,692
Annualised · 50 weeks
$84,617
8 OT hrs/week · Missouri

Who pays the most in Missouri

Public works and specialized construction can offer different earning opportunities.

01 / 06$29.25/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$29.25/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$29.25/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$29.25/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$29.25/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$41.37/hr

Public Works

Missouri's current prevailing wage schedule lists a $41.37 hourly carpenter rate for the Kansas City area before applicable fringe benefits.

+ Prevailing wages
+ Fringe benefits
– Project specific
– Area dependent

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 $29.25/hr.

40 hr week
$1,170
No OT
50 hr week
$1,609
+$21,938/yr
60 hr week
$2,048
+$43,875/yr
70 hr week
$2,486
+$65,813/yr

Questions workers ask

Does Missouri require a statewide carpenter license?▾
Missouri does not have a general statewide carpenter license for employees. Contractor licensing requirements can depend on the type of work and local jurisdiction.
Does Missouri have registered carpenter apprenticeships?▾
Yes. Missouri's registered apprenticeship system includes carpenter programs, and the state reported 2,855 active carpenter apprentices in its 2024 apprenticeship statistics.
What does a Missouri registered apprenticeship provide?▾
Registered apprenticeships combine paid employment, related instruction, structured on-the-job training, and a nationally recognized credential upon completion.
Does Missouri have prevailing wage requirements for carpenters?▾
Yes. Missouri prevailing wage requirements apply to qualifying public works construction projects valued above $75,000, with rates varying by county and occupational classification.
Are Missouri prevailing wage rates the same across the state?▾
No. Missouri publishes prevailing wage rates by county and work classification, so a carpenter's applicable public works rate can differ substantially between project locations.
Do prevailing wage rates include benefits?▾
Missouri wage orders can separately identify fringe benefits alongside the hourly wage. The applicable wage determination should therefore be reviewed for both components.
Can carpenters work as employees without contractor licensing?▾
Yes. Contractor licensing rules generally concern businesses performing contracting work rather than every employee performing carpentry duties under an employer's authority.
What education is typically needed to become a carpenter?▾
A high school diploma or equivalent is commonly useful, while apprenticeship programs provide another pathway combining paid work experience with related classroom instruction. Missouri's state carpenter classification also recognizes formal four-year apprenticeships.
Does Missouri publish carpenter wages by construction industry?▾
BLS publishes statewide occupational wage distributions rather than separate Missouri carpenter wages for every construction industry. Industry-specific figures should therefore not be created from unsupported estimates.

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CareerOneStop reports these 2025 Missouri wage figures for Carpenters, SOC 47-2031, using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data.

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