Running a carpentry business in Raleigh, NC
The Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area has about 2,680 carpenters. The median wage is $24.43 an hour, so half earn more and half earn less. That's 3% above the North Carolina median of $23.61. Nationally, the median is $29.12, so Raleigh pays 16% less.
Market snapshot
- Carpenters employed in the metro area
- 2,680
- Median hourly wage
- $24.43
- Middle 50% earn
- $21.31 to $29.01 an hour
- Median annual wage
- $50,820
- North Carolina median hourly wage
- $23.61
- U.S. median hourly wage
- $29.12
- Job concentration
- 0.84× the national share
- Finish carpentry contractors in the metro area
- 210
- Raleigh population
- 481,031
- Median year homes were built in Raleigh
- 1997
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 Raleigh ranks in North Carolina
- #2 of 14 North Carolina metros for the number of carpenters
- #5 of 14 for median hourly wage
Carpentry in nearby cities
| City | Workers in the metro | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Durham, NC | 520 | $24.78 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 140 | $22.83 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 60 | $24.00 |
| Burlington, NC | 100 | $23.69 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 280 | $22.50 |
| Pinehurst, NC | 90 | $23.00 |
How Tradesman helps carpentry businesses in Raleigh
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 Raleigh
How much do carpenters make in Raleigh?
In May 2025, the median wage for carpenters in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area was $24.43 an hour. The middle half earned between $21.31 and $29.01 an hour.
How many carpenters work in Raleigh?
About 2,680 carpenters worked in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How many finish carpentry contractors are in Raleigh?
The Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area had 210 establishments classified as finish carpentry contractors in 2023, according to the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns.
Sources
Figures cover the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area unless they name Raleigh. Wages are for employees, not business owners.
Run your carpentry business in Raleigh from one place.
Estimates, scheduling, dispatch and payments in one app. Setup takes about five minutes.