Carpenter.
Baltimore.
$66,000
median salary, 12% above the national average
$54,000 to $85,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Carpenter pay in Baltimore at $66,000, within a range of $54,000 to $85,000. That is 12% above the national average. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. 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 Baltimore, 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 $62,380 for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area, based on 3,870 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$42,840
25th percentile
$51,910
Median
$62,380
75th percentile
$75,010
90th percentile
$85,470
Workers surveyed
3,870
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 Baltimore 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 $59,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$43,000
to $53,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$56,000
to $69,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$73,000
to $86,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$83,000
to $102,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $19,000 to the total package.
Base
$66,000
Equity
$11,000
Bonus
$7,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $85,000
How Baltimore compares.
Baltimore, MD
$66,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$59,000
Baltimore is $7,000 above
Carpenter salary by city.
Salary by role in Baltimore.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Carpenter offer in Baltimore, understand the terrain. Baltimore's economy is anchored by Johns Hopkins University and Hospital, one of the largest employers in the state. The city has strong cybersecurity, defense, and biotech sectors, benefiting from proximity to NSA, Fort Meade, and NIH. The port of Baltimore also drives significant logistics and trade employment. 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 Baltimore, 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: maryland's top income tax rate is 5.75%, and Baltimore City adds a local income tax of 3.2%. The combined burden is among the higher ones, but federal and defense salaries compensate. When someone quotes you $66,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: A security clearance is extremely valuable in the Baltimore corridor. Cleared professionals earn 20 to 30% more, and the NSA and defense contractor presence drives constant demand. The range for Carpenters in Baltimore runs from $54,000 to $85,000. 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 Baltimore.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Carpenters in Baltimore.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Carpenter Salary in Baltimore, MD." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/carpenter/baltimore
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