Carpenter.
Nashville.
$60,000
median salary, 2% above the national average
$48,000 to $77,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates Carpenter pay in Nashville at $60,000, within a range of $48,000 to $77,000. That is 2% above the national average. Nashville has diversified well beyond music into healthcare, finance, and technology. 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 Nashville, 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 $55,770 for Carpenters (SOC 47-2031) in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metropolitan area, based on 3,040 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$40,120
25th percentile
$49,510
Median
$55,770
75th percentile
$61,050
90th percentile
$69,680
Workers surveyed
3,040
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 Nashville 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 $54,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$39,000
to $48,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$51,000
to $63,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$66,000
to $78,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$75,000
to $93,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $17,000 to the total package.
Base
$60,000
Equity
$10,000
Bonus
$6,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $77,000
How Nashville compares.
Nashville, TN
$60,000
Cost of living: at average
National Average
$59,000
Nashville is $1,000 above
Carpenter salary by city.
Salary by role in Nashville.
What you should know.
Before you negotiate a Carpenter offer in Nashville, understand the terrain. Nashville has diversified well beyond music into healthcare, finance, and technology. The city is home to HCA Healthcare and a growing corridor of health tech startups. Nashville's moderate cost of living, combined with Tennessee's lack of state income tax on wages, makes it increasingly popular for corporate relocations and remote workers. 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 Nashville, 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: tennessee has no state income tax on wages or salaries. This gives Nashville workers a meaningful take home advantage over peers in states with 5 to 10% income tax rates. When someone quotes you $60,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the healthcare industry concentration as leverage. Nashville healthcare employers are accustomed to national pay scales and will often match or beat coastal health sector offers. The range for Carpenters in Nashville runs from $48,000 to $77,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- An Electrician in Nashville earns $61,000 (2% more)
- The highest-paying role in Nashville is CTO at $306,000
Common questions.
Carpenter salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Nashville.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Carpenters in Nashville.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Carpenter Salary in Nashville, TN." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/carpenter/nashville
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