Carpenters vs Heavy
Carpenters earns $1,870 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Carpenters | Heavy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2024 | $59,310 | $57,440 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $38,760 to $98,370 | $38,640 to $78,800 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 0 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Jobs opening up each year | 74,100 | 237,600 |
| Growth by 2034 | 4% | 4% |
| People doing it now | 959,000 | 2,235,100 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $85,970 in Hawaii down to $46,160 in Mississippi | $64,890 in Alaska down to $48,360 in New Mexico |
Also compared: Carpenters vs Electricians Carpenters vs Police Electricians vs Heavy Heavy vs Police
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Carpenters
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
Heavy
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Light Truck Drivers
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2024, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2024, and employment projections 2024-34. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.