Framer Salary in USA

$29/hr

Compare national carpenter wage benchmarks with the framing duties, working conditions and payment arrangements in a specific employment offer.

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What Framers Earn in the United States

Framers assemble structural floors, walls and roof frameworks. The latest national carpenter wage range is $19.43–$48.03/hr, or $40,410–$99,910/year. BLS includes framing within carpentry rather than publishing a separate framer survey. Use this broader employee benchmark when comparing offers, then consider location, building type, responsibility and paid hours. Employer benefits and self-employed business revenue are separate.

Hourly rates by level in USA

What framers earn at each stage of the trade in USA, before overtime or per-diem.

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$19.43–$23.32/hr
▲ 2.14% from last year
Skilled · 3–7 yrs
$23.32–$36.94/hr
▲ 2.14% from last year
Lead · 7+ yrs
$36.94–$48.03/hr
▲ 2.14% 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

$32.00 is above roughly 52% of this market. The top quarter starts at $37.00, and the median sits at $31.50.

10th
$18
25th
$25
Median
$32
75th
$37
90th
$50
YOU · $32.00
Your percentile
52th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$66,560
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
+$1,040
Above 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
American RecruitsEstimate
Skilled Framer
USA · Day Shift
Base rate$30.13
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.38
+ NCCER Carpentry$0.75
Effective hourly$31.26
Straight · 40 hrs$1,250
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$375
Weekly gross$1,626
Annualised · 50 weeks
$81,276
8 OT hrs/week · USA

Who pays the most in USA

Commercial frameworks, homebuilding and specialist structural packages provide three framing-related settings. The ranked figures are national carpenter medians, not dedicated framer rates; schedules, weather exposure and sequence dependencies differ across the listed sectors.

01 / 03$30.66/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial and institutional building frameworks.

+ Larger projects
+ Coordinated teams
– Tight schedules
– Travel demands
02 / 03$29.13/hr

Residential Building Construction

Homes and residential development.

+ Varied projects
+ Local opportunities
– Weather exposure
– Market fluctuations
03 / 03$28.27/hr

Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors

Specialist structural and exterior packages.

+ Defined scope
+ Structural specialization
– Sequence dependencies
– Weather disruption

Which states pay framers 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. 01California$36.50/hr
  2. 02Virginia$26.77/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
NCCER Level 2+$1$2,080$2005 weeks
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.75$1,560$1625 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.38$790$906 weeks
NCCER Carpentry+$0.75$1,560$2007 weeks
First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)+$0.25$520$758 weeks

What overtime actually adds

At $29.12/hr.

40 hr week
$1,165
No OT
50 hr week
$1,602
+$21,840/yr
60 hr week
$2,038
+$43,680/yr
70 hr week
$2,475
+$65,520/yr

Questions workers ask

Can framers be paid by the wall or square foot?▾
Yes, but piece rates do not remove minimum-wage or overtime protections for covered nonexempt employees. DOL requires hours to be accounted for when calculating overtime. Ask how the employer handles rework and production delays.
Can required tools be deducted from framing pay?▾
Employer-benefit deductions cannot reduce pay below the federal minimum wage or cut into overtime owed. State rules may be stricter. Request the written tool policy before comparing offers.
Is a travel allowance extra wage income?▾
Not always. Qualifying expense reimbursements are treated differently from wages under DOL regular-rate rules. Compare lodging, mileage, and other travel costs with the allowance, rather than treating its full amount as additional earnings.

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Source: Current BLS national carpenter employee wage percentiles, SOC 47-2031; framing is included, but not surveyed as a separate occupation.

Last updated October 15, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.