Carpenter.
Austin.
$63,000
median salary, 7% above the national average
$51,000 to $81,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Carpenter salary in Austin is $63,000, 7% above the national average. Entry level starts near $51,000. Experienced professionals push past $81,000. Austin has transformed into one of America's fastest growing tech hubs, attracting relocations from Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and Samsung. That spread is your negotiation window. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Carpenter in Austin, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $50,260 for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metropolitan area, based on 2,540 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$39,600
25th percentile
$47,940
Median
$50,260
75th percentile
$58,260
90th percentile
$70,200
Workers surveyed
2,540
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $63,000 is 25% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Carpenters covers a different population than the Carpenter title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) rather than Carpenter specifically. The Austin range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 47-2031Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $57,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$41,000
to $50,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$54,000
to $66,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$69,000
to $82,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$79,000
to $98,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$63,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $80,000
How Austin compares.
Austin, TX
$63,000
Cost of living: 3% above average
National Average
$59,000
Austin is $4,000 above
Carpenter salary by city.
Salary by role in Austin.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Carpenter offer in Austin, understand the terrain. Austin has transformed into one of America's fastest growing tech hubs, attracting relocations from Apple, Tesla, Oracle, and Samsung. The city's combination of no state income tax, a vibrant startup scene, and a strong university pipeline makes it highly competitive. Salaries have risen sharply over the past five years, narrowing the gap with coastal cities. Finish carpenters specializing in custom cabinetry, trim, and millwork earn 15 to 25% more than rough framing carpenters. Union membership in metropolitan areas provides the strongest hourly rate floors. Carpenters with concrete formwork expertise for commercial high-rise projects command premium rates due to the physical demands and precision required.
Carpenter apprentices start at $30,000 to $36,000 during their three to four year training period. Journeyman carpenters earn $42,000 to $58,000, while foremen and lead carpenters reach $60,000 to $78,000. General contractors with carpentry backgrounds often earn $85,000 to $130,000 running their own operations. In Austin, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Union carpenters receive benefits packages worth $12,000 to $20,000 annually including health insurance, pension, and training funds. Overtime on commercial projects adds $5,000 to $12,000 per year, with prevailing wage jobs offering the best hourly rates. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax, which can mean 5 to 10% more take home pay compared to California roles. Property taxes are above average, however, running about 1.8% of home value. When someone quotes you $63,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the no income tax advantage as a negotiation lever. Ask employers to match 90% of a Bay Area offer and show that your net pay will actually be higher. The range for Carpenters in Austin runs from $51,000 to $81,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Carpenter salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Austin.
Related salary pages
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Carpenter Salary in Austin, TX." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/carpenter/austin
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