Running a carpentry business in Durham, NC
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area has about 520 carpenters. The median wage is $24.78 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 5% above the North Carolina median of $23.61. Nationally, the median is $29.12, so Durham pays 15% less.
Market snapshot
- Carpenters employed in the metro area
- 520
- Median hourly wage
- $24.78
- Middle 50% earn
- $21.40 to $29.03 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $51,540
- North Carolina median hourly wage
- $23.61
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $29.12
- Job concentration
- 0.35× the national share
- Finish carpentry contractors in the metro area
- 57
- Durham population
- 291,467
- Median year homes were built in Durham
- 1995
Job concentration compares the share of local jobs held by carpenters with the share nationwide. Above 1 means the trade is more concentrated here than average.
How Durham ranks in North Carolina
- #6 of 14 North Carolina metros for the number of carpenters
- #1 of 14 for median hourly wage
Carpentry in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh, NC | 2,680 | $24.43 |
| Burlington, NC | 100 | $23.69 |
| Greensboro, NC | 760 | $24.00 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 140 | $22.83 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 280 | $22.50 |
| Pinehurst, NC | 90 | $23.00 |
How Tradesman helps carpentry businesses in Durham
Materials and labor on one estimate
Separate labor lines from materials, add your scope of work, and send a clean PDF the customer can approve online.
Track every hour on custom work
Clock time against each job so you know how long built-ins really take and can price the next one with confidence.
Keep an order list
Add lumber and hardware to a shared order list for the job, then mark it ordered and received.
Questions about carpentry in Durham
How much do carpenters make in Durham?
In May 2025, the median wage for carpenters in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area was $24.78 an hour. The middle half earned between $21.40 and $29.03 an hour.
How many carpenters work in Durham?
About 520 carpenters worked in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many finish carpentry contractors are in Durham?
The Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area had 57 establishments classified as finish carpentry contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area unless they name Durham. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your carpentry business in Durham from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.