Carpenters are the largest group of building trade workers in the United States and are employed in almost every type of construction activity. Carpentry is divided into rough and finish work, and a skilled carpenter is able to do both.
Rough work includes erecting the wood framework in buildings, including subfloors, partitions, and floor joists; installing the heavy timbers used in the building of docks and railroad trestles; erecting scaffolds and temporary buildings at construction sites; and making the chutes for pouring concrete and the forms to enclose the concrete while it hardens. Rough work must be completed before finish work can begin.
Installing molding, wood paneling, cabinets, windows and doors, and hardware, as well as building stairs and laying floors, is finish work. In some construction jobs, finish work may also include installing wallboard and floor coverings such as linoleum or asphalt tile.
In small communities and rural areas, carpenters often install glass and insulation and do the painting; in large metropolitan areas, carpenters tend to specialize in just one phase of carpentry.
Carpenters work from blueprints or from instructions given by supervisors and must use materials and building techniques that conform to local building codes. They use hand tools such as hammers, saws, chisels, and planes (which each carpenter usually provides for him- or herself), as well as portable power saws, drills, and rivet guns (which are usually supplied by the builder or contractor).
Most carpenters work for contractors and builders who construct new buildings or renovate and remodel older structures; many are self-employed or combine wage employment with a part-time business of their own. Some are employed by government agencies, manufacturing firms, and other large organizations.
A large proportion of carpenters belong to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
Slowly but surely, women are beginning to enter this field--currently about 2 percent of all carpenters are women. One major attraction is the high hourly wage, which is more than twice that paid in the clerical and health fields where so many women work. Women carpenters often face resentment and sometimes discrimination in this traditionally male field, but affirmative action programs and equal employment opportunity regulations are helping smooth the way. A woman interested in carpentry as a career should make sure she acquires the best technical skills possible in high school if she expects to be considered for acceptance into an apprenticeship program.
Places of employment and working conditions
Carpenters work throughout the country in communities of all sizes and in rural areas.
A carpenter's work is always active and sometimes strenuous, depending on whether it is rough or finish work. Prolonged standing, climbing, and squatting are necessary, and there is danger of injury from falls, sharp or rough materials, and the use of sharp tools and power equipment.
Qualifications, education, and training
Manual dexterity is an extremely important qualification as is the ability to solve mathematical problems quickly and accurately. Anyone interested in carpentry as a career should also be in good physical condition, have a good sense of balance, and be unafraid of working on high structures.
Although a large number of workers in this field have acquired their skills by working as carpenters' helpers or for contractors who provide some training, the best training is obtained in a formal apprenticeship program. Carpenters with such training are in greater demand, command better pay, and have greater opportunities for advancement.
Apprenticeship applicants generally must be at least 17 years old and meet local requirements. Courses in carpentry shop, mechanical drawing, and general mathematics are helpful. Applicants are usually given an aptitude test to assess their suitability for carpentry work.
An apprenticeship consists of three to four years of on-the-job training supplemented by related classroom instruction. The classroom instruction includes drafting, blueprint reading, mathematics for layout work, and the use of woodworking machines to familiarize the apprentice with the materials, tools, and principles of carpentry.
Most apprenticeship programs are sponsored and supervised by a joint committee of local contractors and builders and representatives of the local chapter of the carpenters' union. The committee determines the number of carpenters the local job market can support and establishes the minimum standards of education, training, and experience. If specialization by local contractors is extensive, the committee sometimes rotates apprentices among several employers to provide training in all areas of carpentry.
Potential and advancement
There are over 1,100,000 carpenters in the United States, one-third of them are self-employed. Job opportunities should be plentiful over the next decade as population growth adds to the demand for housing and other structures. The construction industry is very sensitive to the national economy, however, and the number of job openings can fluctuate greatly from year to year.
Carpenters have greater opportunity for advancement to general supervisory positions than other construction workers because they are involved in the entire construction process. For this same reason, carpenters often become building contractors.
For women in this field, the best areas for job opportunities are in the building trade groups and in companies being formed by women to create jobs for women in the building trades.
Income
For carpenters who are not self-employed, median weekly earnings are $381. Those in the middle of the salary range earn between $282 and $516 per week.
Those at the top of the salary range earn more than $676 a week, while those at the bottom earn less than $215.
Carpenters' earnings may be affected at times by bad weather that causes them to lose work time or availability of jobs.
Additional sources of information
Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Washington, DC 20005
Associated General Contractors of America, Inc., Washington, DC 20006
National Association of Women in Construction, Fort Worth, TX 76104
United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Washington, DC 20005
