Carpenter.
Denver.
$62,000
median salary, 5% above the national average
$50,000 to $80,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Carpenter in Denver earns a median of $62,000 in 2026. That is 5% above the national average. The range runs from $50,000 to $80,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Finish carpenters specializing in custom cabinetry, trim, and millwork earn 15 to 25% more than rough framing carpenters. 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 Denver, 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 $64,910 for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metropolitan area, based on 7,250 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$48,160
25th percentile
$57,610
Median
$64,910
75th percentile
$75,160
90th percentile
$89,990
Workers surveyed
7,250
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 Denver 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 $56,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$40,000
to $50,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$53,000
to $65,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$68,000
to $81,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$78,000
to $96,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$62,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $79,000
How Denver compares.
Denver, CO
$62,000
Cost of living: 8% above average
National Average
$59,000
Denver is $3,000 above
Carpenter salary by city.
Salary by role in Denver.
What you should know.
The Carpenter landscape in Denver is not what most salary sites will tell you. Denver has emerged as a secondary tech hub with strong aerospace, telecom, and outdoor industry employers. The city attracts remote workers and relocating companies seeking lower costs than the coasts. Salaries have climbed steadily as national employers open satellite offices and compete for Denver's growing talent pool. 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 Denver, 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: colorado has a flat 4.4% state income tax. Denver has no additional city income tax, making the overall tax burden lighter than most coastal metros. When someone quotes you $62,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Position yourself as a remote talent anchor. Many companies pay near coastal rates for Denver based employees to save on office costs while retaining top performers. The range for Carpenters in Denver runs from $50,000 to $80,000. 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 Denver.
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 Denver, CO." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/carpenter/denver
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