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Carpenters

$51.39K Median Salary 89.3K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 2.1% Job Growth

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About This Career

Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.

Reported Job Titles

Bridge Carpenter, Cabinet Maker, Carpenter, Concrete Carpenter, Construction Carpenter, Form Carpenter, Framer, Maintenance Carpenter, Rough Carpenter, Scaffold Builder

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity

Visualization

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Near Vision

Arm-Hand Steadiness

Deductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Trunk Strength

Far Vision

Multilimb Coordination

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Static Strength

Inductive Reasoning

Category Flexibility

Control Precision

Reaction Time

Selective Attention

Explosive Strength

Flexibility of Closure

Perceptual Speed

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Written Comprehension

Knowledge

Building and Construction

Administration and Management

Mathematics

Design

Engineering and Technology

Public Safety and Security

Mechanical

Education and Training

Customer and Personal Service

Physics

Skills

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Monitoring

Coordination

Quality Control Analysis

Reading Comprehension

Speaking

Active Learning

Complex Problem Solving

Judgment and Decision Making

Mathematics

Time Management

Technology Skills

Accounting software

Project management software

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software

Office suite software

Operating system software

Computer aided design CAD software

Internet browser software

Information retrieval or search software

Web page creation and editing software

Tools

Levels

Power saws

Ladders

Screwdrivers

Tape measures

Guide jig

Jacks

Squares

Planes

Power routers

Biscuit jointers

Scaffolding

Sawing machines

Forklifts

Wood chisels

Alignment jig

Power sanders

Level sensors or transmitters

Triangles

Bandsaw wheel

Staple guns

Power staple guns

Saw guide

Drilling machines

Pry bars

Hammers

Scaffolding stabilizers

Saw blades

Pullers

Hammer drills

Power drills

Compasses

Impact wrenches

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers

Gas generators

Safety boots

Power grinders

Plumb bobs

Metal markers or holders

Feeder jig

Laser measuring systems

Sledge hammer

Conventional truck cranes

Safety harnesses or belts

Pneumatic nail drivers

Power planes

Power nail guns

Pocket calculator

Wood auger bit

Saws

Drum sander

Cheesegrater file

Bevels

Tinners snips

Belt sander

Air compressors

Hard hats

Calipers

Respirators

Utility knives

Notebook computers

Theodolites

Moisture meters

Rulers

Protractors

Caulking guns

Needlenose pliers

Personal computers

Templates

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Finger Dexterity: The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Manual Dexterity: The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Arm-Hand Steadiness: The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Multilimb Coordination: The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Static Strength: The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Control Precision: The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
Reaction Time: The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Explosive Strength: The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or sprinting), or to throw an object.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Knowledge

Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Design: Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

Skills

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Autodesk Revit
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Information retrieval or search software: LexisNexis
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites

Tools

Levels: Optical levels
Power saws: Chain saws
Ladders: Extension ladders
Screwdrivers: Mini screwdriver sets
Tape measures: Diameter tape measures
Guide jig: Post drilling jigs
Jacks: Hydraulic jacks
Squares:
Planes: Shapers; Spindle shapers
Power routers:
Biscuit jointers:
Scaffolding:
Sawing machines: Miter saws; Multiple blade sawing machines
Forklifts:
Wood chisels:
Alignment jig: Alignment tools
Power sanders: Power hand sanders
Level sensors or transmitters: Level transmitters
Triangles:
Bandsaw wheel: Vertical bandsaws
Staple guns: Stapling machines
Power staple guns: Automated staple guns
Saw guide: Saw guides
Drilling machines: Drill presses
Pry bars:
Hammers:
Scaffolding stabilizers: Ladder braces; Ladder levelers; Ladder standoffs
Saw blades: Screw slotters
Pullers: Comealongs
Hammer drills: Underwater hammer drills
Power drills: Hand drills
Compasses:
Impact wrenches: Underwater impact wrenches
Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers: Personal digital assistants PDA
Gas generators: Power generators
Safety boots: Caulk boots
Power grinders: Underwater power grinders
Plumb bobs:
Metal markers or holders: Centering head tools; Magnetic circle layout tools; Radius markers
Feeder jig: Push sticks
Laser measuring systems: Laser shearography flaw detectors; Verisurf Master3DGage
Sledge hammer: Steel sledge hammers
Conventional truck cranes: Forwarder cranes
Safety harnesses or belts: Climbing belts
Pneumatic nail drivers: Pneumatic air nailers
Power planes: Power planers
Power nail guns: Nailing machines
Pocket calculator: Handheld calculators
Wood auger bit: Auger bits
Saws: Multi-purpose saw sets
Drum sander: Drum sanders
Cheesegrater file: Wood files
Bevels: Sliding t-bevels
Tinners snips: Compound snips; Snips; Straight snips; Tin snips
Belt sander: Belt sanders
Air compressors:
Hard hats:
Calipers: Dial calipers; Digital calipers; Vernier calipers
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Utility knives: Precision knives
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Theodolites: Survey transits
Moisture meters:
Rulers: Precision rulers; Steel rules
Protractors:
Caulking guns:
Needlenose pliers:
Personal computers:
Templates: Machine templates

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