Carpenter Salary in Montana

$28/hr

This guide covers Montana carpenter wages, experience-based pay levels, licensing, higher-paying industries, and key career considerations.

Change trade or state

What Carpenters Earn in Montana

Carpenters build, install, and repair structures, including framing, interior finishes, and other woodwork. In Montana, carpenters typically earn about $20.68 to $37.09 per hour, which corresponds to approximately $43,010 to $77,150 annually.

Hourly rates by level in Montana

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$20.68–$23.84/hr
▲ 1.22% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$23.84–$28.80/hr
▲ 1.22% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$28.80–$37.09/hr
▲ 1.22% from last year

Find Carpenter jobs in Montana.

Browse open jobs

Where do you stand?

Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other carpenters in Montana.

What are you making?

Type your hourly rate. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere — it stays in your browser.

$/ 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
Montana · Day Shift
Base rate$26.32
+ Scaffold Training$1.00
+ NCCER Carpentry Level 1$0.75
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.25
Effective hourly$28.32
Straight · 40 hrs$1,133
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$340
Weekly gross$1,473
Annualised · 50 weeks
$73,632
8 OT hrs/week · Montana

Who pays the most in Montana

Higher-paying carpenter work can involve commercial construction, finishing, or residential projects.

01 / 03$30.66/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial projects involve larger structures and complex framing.

+ Larger projects
+ Structural work
– Tight deadlines
– Strict sites
02 / 03$29.27/hr

Building Finishing Contractors

Finish work suits carpenters with detailed installation and interior skills.

+ Specialized skills
+ Precision work
– Other-trade dependencies
– Detailed demands
03 / 03$29.13/hr

Residential Building Construction

Residential work includes framing, remodeling, additions, and new-home construction.

+ Broad experience
+ Varied projects
– Weather delays
– Physical demands

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
Scaffold Training+$1$2,080$2105 weeks
NCCER Carpentry Level 1+$0.75$1,560$1906 weeks
First Aid/CPR+$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 $28.28/hr.

40 hr week
$1,131
No OT
50 hr week
$1,555
+$21,210/yr
60 hr week
$1,980
+$42,420/yr
70 hr week
$2,404
+$63,630/yr

Questions workers ask

Does Montana require carpenters to hold a state carpenter license?▾
Montana does not establish a general employee carpenter license, but construction contractors are subject to state licensing requirements.
Does Montana require construction contractors to be licensed?▾
Yes. Effective January 1, 2026, Montana requires construction contractors to hold a license through the Department of Labor and Industry, with statutory exemptions.
Are independent contractors exempt from Montana construction contractor licensing?▾
An independent contractor with no employees is among the statutory exemptions, although the law allows such contractors to voluntarily elect licensing.

See Open Carpenter Jobs in Montana

Verified positions matching this trade and location.

See Open JobsBuild My Profile — Free

Montana carpenter wages use the latest published statewide data for SOC 47-2031. Entry reflects the 10th percentile, Median the 50th percentile, and Top the 90th percentile.

Last updated October 22, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.