Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Kentucky | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $52,680 | $62,569 | -16% |
| Median hourly wage | $25.33 | $30.08 | -16% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $58,404.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Carpenter in Kentucky is $52,680, or about $25.33 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Carpenters is $62,569. Kentucky is -16% below the national median.
Entry-level carpenters in Kentucky typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 8,540 carpenter jobs on record and a median salary of $52,680, Kentucky offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, carpenters rank 379 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 46% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Boilermakers at $74,810, First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers at $73,490, Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators at $73,120 — all figures are median annual wages for Kentucky.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Kentucky levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 89.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, carpenters rank 379 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 46% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Kentucky | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Boilermakers | $74,810 | $150 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $73,490 | $9,620 |
| Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $73,120 | $270 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | $72,510 | $120 |
| Helpers--Extraction Workers | $68,020 | $230 |
| Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $66,830 | $40 |
Kentucky levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 89.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 699 occupations in Kentucky.