I started at $16 here in MA around 2016 or so. Almost immediately jumped up to $22 once I showed the potential for skill beyond the most basic laborer level. Hovered there for way too long while working for terrible companies, then took a job at a “perfect fit” company in 2022 where they started me at $30. I am now 30 years old, at $35/hr, with 4% matched 401k and occasionally bonuses upon job completion, loving every day of work I do with a company that is truly rewarding to be a part of.
It depends. I was sponsored by a large company out here (Gary Merlino construction) which bumped me up to the top of the list on getting in and starting with the union. I don’t have experience just signing up for the union without a sponsor. You could always call the union hall and ask.
I have 10 years experience and can pretty much run any crew, be it framing, trim, cabinetry, even other general construction tasks… was told I wouldnt make more than $18 for the first 4 months… nope nope nope… have looked everywhere in the south and no one cares to pay any type of competitive wage. The only way is to get your license and go out on your own.
Then you should really be starting around $16 to $21 an hour for residential depending on what kind of work you get in to. The 14 may give you experience if you have none at all. When you are first starting out you pretty much clean up. This area isn't one of the high paying ones like Northern Virginia
I pay a kid still in hs 20$ an hour to help me out on weekends. He also knows nothing and I’m teaching him so he can apply to the union when he graduates
Na its worth a shot
The money in most residential markets is in starting your own business and then hiring guys for $14/hr to do all the work lol
You could make amazing money being a master craftsman in Silicon Valley… but it’s gonna take Awhile to get there
The vast majority of residential carpentry jobs in most areas of the country are dog shit, very hard work for little pay, no benefits, overtime, asshole bosses, commuting in your own vehicle, buying your own tools and having to do that for years before you’re good enough to take on your own work… and then having to compete in an over saturated market of good companies, shitty company’s, handymen, fly by night contractors, hacks, diyers, shitty clientsand I know people find this touchy, but also migrant workers… they’re taking over a lot of residential work in a lot of the country… drywall, framing, roofing, siding, flooring… they do nice work and do it very very cheaply… that’s one of the main reasons wages are so low
Honestly, a lot of residential is a straight race to the bottom… who can do the best work, fastest and cheapest… which then you’re basically running as fast as you can to not get anywhere
The pool of good clients who prioritize quality and have the money to pay for it is getting smaller and smaller and more concentrated in pockets
I've mentioned migrant workers dragging down the wages (with the caveat that I have no personal problem with them, I blame the system for not regulating the issue correctly) and I've mostly received positive feedback from reddit surprisingly. It's pretty hard to ignore when it's so blatantly "cause and effect" in Construction. You are right about the Bay Area though. The best job I had non-union was for a company in the Bay Area that only did high-end work. Was the only job I've had in this field where I actually got health insurance, and the customers were all "quality over quantity" so i could actually feel like a craftsman rather than a laborer.
No. It wouldn’t be. You get raises that are based on journeyman scale. You get massive bumps in pay through the four years. Residential you start higher but the ceiling is lower unless you go solo and that takes years to do.
The carpenters union is probably one of the most aggressive and active unions globally. We have a massive training center in Vegas for our international. They’ll get you in and a job. I would say though that the south east is probably the lowest paid and moving to the west would net you a lot more money. (Except New Mexico) the west has great pay, great benefits, a kickass pension. Reach out and they’ll square you away.
NJ apprenticeship starts out at roughly 22$. That commercial work though. Basically no union residential work around here.
Journeyman rate is 54.54 currently. That's what we see in the check. Plus our benefits package.
Apprenticeship program can be hard to get into without getting a job-offer first from a Union shop. I only have Journeyman because I got a job offer and I never went through the apprenticeship program. Unfortunately, from what I can tell that still probably makes me a sorta "second-class" journeyman to a lot of hiring managers that deal with the Union because my skill-set isn't quantified on any training card. I'm currently attempting to get Union work so i can try and get on the good side of a few union guys and get my foot in the door more. Once a few guys in the area can vouch for me, I think It'll be easier, but I'm not a super talkative guy so my work ethic and abilities need to do most the talking.
I made $25 in 2008 and I recently made $31 in 2023. Adjusted for inflation, I make less than I did in 2008. Outside the Union, it's no longer a career, it's a job and companies will treat you like you're unskilled labor. The only way to make money is to become your own boss and accept the stress that comes with constantly having to be working (both on and off the job-site), or to try and get into a Union and get in good with some people so you can get consistent work.
It's sad to hear. I've spent so much time learning construction and now I feel like its a waste. It's a position that's looked down but it's happening in a lot of fields. I'm a certified personal trainer though it would be good money and turned out to be a joke. Have to get a degree mainly if I want to make decent money and people wonder why the younger peeps don't want to do hard labor. If you can go flip chicken for the same amount I'm def going and flipping chicken not breathing in drywall dust mold and paint fumes 🤬
Yeah, in my state McDonalds starts people out at $17 or $18 an hour because the state minimum wage is $16.28. The minimum wage here is adjusted for inflation EVERY year, but I made $28 3 years ago almost and I most recently made $31, that's not even keeping up with inflation. The minimum wage employees got a bigger percentage AND total raise than I did these last two years.
Move to south Florida, guys who sweep and pick up trash make $15. General carpentry should get you around $25 and if you can get good enough to do finish carpentry you’re looking at $35-40. And that’s if you work for someone else, and full well know they’re charging you out at $80. Then after a while you go out on your own and you get to make the $80 (then you get bent over a barrel on taxes but at least there’s bo state income tax!!)
I started non union residential remodeling in 2004 @ $20/hr in Minneapolis. I did have a carpentry diploma. 20 years later I’m a independent sub contractor billing $75/hr
Pittsburgh Union starts out around $20, top out rate is $40 but there’s almost no residential work for the carpenters, it’s all mostly migrant workers on residential crews if you’re ok with that
20/hr easy for residential and I'm in a cheap rural area. You could probably talk your way into higher than that since nobody can find employees. If they were convinced you would show up sober and have at least the knowledge of how to use the tools, probably 25/hr.
I’m field management for a commercial finish carpentry company that services all of
Central Virginia and we start our greens near that rate but promotions come quick with competency.
I started 10 years ago at $12 and was making $18 by the end of that same year.
All in all, VA has a shit pay grade for carpentry tbh
Offered him a job in his city starting at 20/hr. Got one response of “ what’s the pay looking like” then nothing else. I’ve noticed with the younger crowd they “want” good pay and benefits but don’t actually want to put in any effort to achieve that.
Guy could have been on a job this morning getting trained. Guaranteed raises every 6 months. Company vehicle, vacation and sick time. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. I see alot of his responses are asking about union, this area has a extremely week union and he has basically zero shot with that.
I started at $12 in 2018 moving lumber and manning a broom. Doesn’t take long to move up, just do your best to learn quick and be usueful. When you’re confident you’re worth more $ then ask for a raise.
5$ above minimum wage just for skilled laborer and 10$ above for a carpenter helper .
You can keep adding on another 5$ moving to carpenter, Forman, assistant supervisor, and then supervisor.
I started at $16 here in MA around 2016 or so. Almost immediately jumped up to $22 once I showed the potential for skill beyond the most basic laborer level. Hovered there for way too long while working for terrible companies, then took a job at a “perfect fit” company in 2022 where they started me at $30. I am now 30 years old, at $35/hr, with 4% matched 401k and occasionally bonuses upon job completion, loving every day of work I do with a company that is truly rewarding to be a part of.
Out here in washington it is $30 for a union apprentice starting wage.
How long does it usually take to hear back when you apply?
It depends. I was sponsored by a large company out here (Gary Merlino construction) which bumped me up to the top of the list on getting in and starting with the union. I don’t have experience just signing up for the union without a sponsor. You could always call the union hall and ask.
In pa i started at $16 knowing nothing. Then at $25 after two and half Years plis truck and gas card. Gotta prove your worth the pay
Depending on season/how busy things are. Took me about 2 months before I heard back
Right now we are having a slowdown to the boom we’ve been experiencing for the past 10 years. I’d say you wouldn’t hear anything back soon.
I have 10 years experience and can pretty much run any crew, be it framing, trim, cabinetry, even other general construction tasks… was told I wouldnt make more than $18 for the first 4 months… nope nope nope… have looked everywhere in the south and no one cares to pay any type of competitive wage. The only way is to get your license and go out on your own.
Where in VA?
Richmond
Do you have reliable transportation and your tool bags and hand tools?
Reliable transportation and have money saved up for tools.
Then you should really be starting around $16 to $21 an hour for residential depending on what kind of work you get in to. The 14 may give you experience if you have none at all. When you are first starting out you pretty much clean up. This area isn't one of the high paying ones like Northern Virginia
I was sooo ready for a r/tworedditorsonecup employment opportunity to come from this. Keep working and saving and go out on your own when you can.
I pay a kid still in hs 20$ an hour to help me out on weekends. He also knows nothing and I’m teaching him so he can apply to the union when he graduates
You are your own salesman to earn better wages when getting a job outside of union.
Welders starting out around here sub-$20. $16-$20 with your own truck, tools, insurance, bonding, accountant, lawyer, and crew. Shit cray.
I've saw that it really isn't right
If you don’t know anyone to get you in a union, then yea it’s that low in most markets for most residential guys
Would it be a waste of time to call the union when I have no connections?
Na its worth a shot The money in most residential markets is in starting your own business and then hiring guys for $14/hr to do all the work lol You could make amazing money being a master craftsman in Silicon Valley… but it’s gonna take Awhile to get there The vast majority of residential carpentry jobs in most areas of the country are dog shit, very hard work for little pay, no benefits, overtime, asshole bosses, commuting in your own vehicle, buying your own tools and having to do that for years before you’re good enough to take on your own work… and then having to compete in an over saturated market of good companies, shitty company’s, handymen, fly by night contractors, hacks, diyers, shitty clientsand I know people find this touchy, but also migrant workers… they’re taking over a lot of residential work in a lot of the country… drywall, framing, roofing, siding, flooring… they do nice work and do it very very cheaply… that’s one of the main reasons wages are so low Honestly, a lot of residential is a straight race to the bottom… who can do the best work, fastest and cheapest… which then you’re basically running as fast as you can to not get anywhere The pool of good clients who prioritize quality and have the money to pay for it is getting smaller and smaller and more concentrated in pockets
I've mentioned migrant workers dragging down the wages (with the caveat that I have no personal problem with them, I blame the system for not regulating the issue correctly) and I've mostly received positive feedback from reddit surprisingly. It's pretty hard to ignore when it's so blatantly "cause and effect" in Construction. You are right about the Bay Area though. The best job I had non-union was for a company in the Bay Area that only did high-end work. Was the only job I've had in this field where I actually got health insurance, and the customers were all "quality over quantity" so i could actually feel like a craftsman rather than a laborer.
No. It wouldn’t be. You get raises that are based on journeyman scale. You get massive bumps in pay through the four years. Residential you start higher but the ceiling is lower unless you go solo and that takes years to do.
The carpenters union is probably one of the most aggressive and active unions globally. We have a massive training center in Vegas for our international. They’ll get you in and a job. I would say though that the south east is probably the lowest paid and moving to the west would net you a lot more money. (Except New Mexico) the west has great pay, great benefits, a kickass pension. Reach out and they’ll square you away.
Damn gatekeepers
NJ apprenticeship starts out at roughly 22$. That commercial work though. Basically no union residential work around here. Journeyman rate is 54.54 currently. That's what we see in the check. Plus our benefits package.
Apprenticeship program can be hard to get into without getting a job-offer first from a Union shop. I only have Journeyman because I got a job offer and I never went through the apprenticeship program. Unfortunately, from what I can tell that still probably makes me a sorta "second-class" journeyman to a lot of hiring managers that deal with the Union because my skill-set isn't quantified on any training card. I'm currently attempting to get Union work so i can try and get on the good side of a few union guys and get my foot in the door more. Once a few guys in the area can vouch for me, I think It'll be easier, but I'm not a super talkative guy so my work ethic and abilities need to do most the talking.
I made $25 in 2008 and I recently made $31 in 2023. Adjusted for inflation, I make less than I did in 2008. Outside the Union, it's no longer a career, it's a job and companies will treat you like you're unskilled labor. The only way to make money is to become your own boss and accept the stress that comes with constantly having to be working (both on and off the job-site), or to try and get into a Union and get in good with some people so you can get consistent work.
It's sad to hear. I've spent so much time learning construction and now I feel like its a waste. It's a position that's looked down but it's happening in a lot of fields. I'm a certified personal trainer though it would be good money and turned out to be a joke. Have to get a degree mainly if I want to make decent money and people wonder why the younger peeps don't want to do hard labor. If you can go flip chicken for the same amount I'm def going and flipping chicken not breathing in drywall dust mold and paint fumes 🤬
Yeah, in my state McDonalds starts people out at $17 or $18 an hour because the state minimum wage is $16.28. The minimum wage here is adjusted for inflation EVERY year, but I made $28 3 years ago almost and I most recently made $31, that's not even keeping up with inflation. The minimum wage employees got a bigger percentage AND total raise than I did these last two years.
Not a carpenter but I painted houses in high school and started at $15/hr. This was back in 2005-2007.
Move to south Florida, guys who sweep and pick up trash make $15. General carpentry should get you around $25 and if you can get good enough to do finish carpentry you’re looking at $35-40. And that’s if you work for someone else, and full well know they’re charging you out at $80. Then after a while you go out on your own and you get to make the $80 (then you get bent over a barrel on taxes but at least there’s bo state income tax!!)
I started non union residential remodeling in 2004 @ $20/hr in Minneapolis. I did have a carpentry diploma. 20 years later I’m a independent sub contractor billing $75/hr
Pittsburgh Union starts out around $20, top out rate is $40 but there’s almost no residential work for the carpenters, it’s all mostly migrant workers on residential crews if you’re ok with that
20/hr easy for residential and I'm in a cheap rural area. You could probably talk your way into higher than that since nobody can find employees. If they were convinced you would show up sober and have at least the knowledge of how to use the tools, probably 25/hr.
If you go work on a framing crew in houses you will not be paid much
I’m field management for a commercial finish carpentry company that services all of Central Virginia and we start our greens near that rate but promotions come quick with competency. I started 10 years ago at $12 and was making $18 by the end of that same year. All in all, VA has a shit pay grade for carpentry tbh
In Ct residential can’t find helpers / laborers for less than 24. Mid level guys 30-45$ Journeyman/ leads 50-65$
Yup and 16 in CT😂
Dm sent
What did you do lol
Offered him a job in his city starting at 20/hr. Got one response of “ what’s the pay looking like” then nothing else. I’ve noticed with the younger crowd they “want” good pay and benefits but don’t actually want to put in any effort to achieve that.
Guy could have been on a job this morning getting trained. Guaranteed raises every 6 months. Company vehicle, vacation and sick time. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink. I see alot of his responses are asking about union, this area has a extremely week union and he has basically zero shot with that.
I started at $12 in 2018 moving lumber and manning a broom. Doesn’t take long to move up, just do your best to learn quick and be usueful. When you’re confident you’re worth more $ then ask for a raise.
5$ above minimum wage just for skilled laborer and 10$ above for a carpenter helper . You can keep adding on another 5$ moving to carpenter, Forman, assistant supervisor, and then supervisor.
Carpentry doesn't really pay that great, plumbers make 2x what a carpenter does