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Official ONS earnings · Updated September 2026

Carpenter salary in the UK

Full-time employed carpenters and joiners earn a median of £34,014 a year (£17.04 an hour), 13% below the £39,039 median for all UK full-time employees.

Median yearly pay, full-time
£34,014
Median hourly pay
£17.04
Median weekly pay
£679
Top 20% earn more than
£42,560

Pay range

What carpenters and joiners earn, from lowest to highest

Yearly pay for full-time employees at each point of the range (percentiles).

  1. 10% earn under£23,458
  2. 20% earn under£27,633
  3. 25% earn under£28,900
  4. 30% earn under£30,029
  5. 40% earn under£32,337
  6. Median (50%)£34,014
  7. 60% earn under£36,190
  8. 70% earn under£38,532
  9. 75% earn under£40,477
  10. 80% earn under£42,560

Points are shown only where ONS rates the estimate as reliable. The median changed by +3.4% on 2024.

The trade in numbers

  • 16,007 active joinery and carpentry companies on Companies House.
  • 54.2% of those set up in 2019–2020 were still going five years later.
  • 10.1% are currently proposed for strike-off or in insolvency.

From our Trade Survival Index and Trade Index.

Qualifications

  • A Level 2 or Level 3 qualification in site carpentry (fitting on site) or bench joinery (making in a workshop), often through an apprenticeship.
  • A CSCS card for site work.

Self-employed

Self-employed carpenter earnings

Self-employed carpenters, such as kitchen fitters and finish carpenters, usually charge a day rate. ONS figures cover employees only.

Working for yourself? Compare sole trader vs limited company, or work out CIS deductions and refunds.

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How it compares with other trades

See the full ranking of UK trade salaries, from air-conditioning engineers to gardeners, in the highest paid trades in the UK.

Hiring rather than training? Find local carpenters and joiners or get free quotes.

Carpenter salary FAQs

Full-time employed carpenters and joiners earn a median £34,014 a year, according to ONS figures for 2025. The middle half earn between £28,900 and £40,477.

The median for full-time employed carpenters and joiners is £17.04 an hour, typically on a 40-hour paid week. Self-employed carpenters and joiners charge customers more per hour to cover their costs.

The top 20% of full-time employed carpenters and joiners earn more than £42,560 a year. Supervisors, specialists and those working overtime or away from home tend to earn most.

Self-employed carpenters, such as kitchen fitters and finish carpenters, usually charge a day rate. ONS figures cover employees only.

There were 16,007 active joinery and carpentry companies on the Companies House register in September 2026, plus many sole traders and employees. About 54.2% of such companies set up in 2019–2020 were still trading five years later.

Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14, full-time employee jobs, UK: Carpenters and joiners (SOC 5316). Excludes the self-employed. We'll update this page when ONS publishes the 2026 figures.