Construction and Extraction
Carpenters
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.
Also called: Bridge Carpenter, Cabinet Maker, Carpentry Construction Specialist, Concrete Carpenter, Construction Carpenter, Finish Carpenter
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $75,210
- $36.16/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 12,720
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +6.3%
- 2,050 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Apprenticeship
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,820 | $60,860 | $75,210 | $98,750 | $124,190 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.
- Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.
- Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.
- Select and order lumber or other required materials.
- Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.
- Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Lower exposure12 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 6
- Language-model AIOE 9
- GPTs-are-GPTs 21
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
Carpentry has lower AI exposure, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with tasks like figuring measurements and cut lists or selecting and ordering materials. Cutting, shaping, and installing wood on a real job site, and keeping the site safe, are hands-on work that AI tools do not touch. Massachusetts employment is projected to grow 6.3% from 2024 to 2034.
Likely to change
- Working out measurements and cut lists
- Selecting and ordering materials
Still relies on people
- Cutting and installing frames, trim, and floors
- Keeping the job site safe and clean
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Glaziers
Reading blueprints, checking plumb, and installing fixtures carry over, and glazing offers higher pay through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$32,400 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +4.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles
Cutting materials to plans and fitting them around obstructions carry over, and this field offers higher pay, projected growth of 11.3%, and no formal credential.
- Pay difference
- +$23,080 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +11.3%
- To get started
- No formal educational credential
Brickmasons and Blockmasons
Measuring, marking guidelines, and using levels carry over, and brickmasonry offers higher pay through an apprenticeship.
- Pay difference
- +$21,750 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +5.3%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
1 program near Boston
North Bennet Street School (school website, opens in a new tab)
Boston, MA · 0.2 mi from City Hall
Carpentry/Carpenter · Certificate (2 to 4 years)
3 completed in 2023-24
Who employs carpenters on Boston construction projects
Hours worked on projects covered by the Boston Residents Jobs Policy over the last 24 months. This shows who has employed carpenters, not who has openings.
3,416,394 worker hours from Oct 20, 2024 to Oct 19, 2026 (trades: Carpenter).
- 20.7%
- of hours by boston residents
- 52.8%
- of hours by people of color
- 5.5%
- of hours by women
| Employer | Worker hours | Boston resident share | Projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Century Drywall Inc. | 289,072 | 25.1% | 10 |
| G&C Concrete | 206,730 | 17.1% | 19 |
| Manganaro Northeast Llc | 146,137 | 24.2% | 13 |
| T. J. McCartney, Inc. | 145,596 | 13.6% | 9 |
| New England Finish Systems, Inc. | 141,491 | 24.4% | 6 |
| Component Assembly Systems | 129,878 | 16.4% | 8 |
| Tara Construction Company | 124,920 | 33.7% | 9 |
| New England Finish Sys. | 109,488 | 24.9% | 5 |
Related occupations
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
- Helpers--Carpenters
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
- Construction Laborers
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
Talk to a career coach