Carpenter
Construction trade framing, fixing and finishing timber structures. Not licensed in most states for non-structural work, but contractor licences apply above set thresholds in QLD and TAS.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Carpenter (331212), the closest official match for carpenter, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- Median weekly earnings (full-time)
- $1,787
- People employed
- 104,900
- Future demand
- Moderate
- Work full-time
- 84%
- Average full-time hours
- 43 a week
- Women
- 1%
- Median age
- 31
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 30.8% |
| VIC | 30.9% |
| QLD | 20.6% |
| WA | 7.6% |
| SA | 5.4% |
| TAS | 2.3% |
| ACT | 1.7% |
| NT | 0.7% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 0.5% |
| Bachelor degree | 2.8% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 3.6% |
| Certificate I-IV | 67.2% |
| Year 12 | 12.7% |
| Below Year 12 | 11.3% |
What a carpenter actually does
Carpenters on a residential build site usually start between 6:30 and 7am. The morning starts with a toolbox talk, then it's straight into framing, fixing or formwork depending on the day. Framing days are the most physical: lifting wall frames, cutting studs and noggins, setting trusses. Form-work crews on commercial sites pour cycles every week or two, so the rhythm is set-out, strip and reset. Fix-out carpenters work indoors on hanging doors, installing skirting and architraves, building stairs. Tools are mostly battery-powered now (drill, impact driver, circular saw, nail gun) but everyone still carries a hammer and a tape. Most days finish 3-4pm on domestic, later on commercial. Weather plays a big role - framing in summer in Queensland or WA is brutal, and you're shifted to cooler tasks where possible. Builders will pull you off site if it's pelting rain on a frame, but you'll still be expected to make up the time later.
Skills you'll use
- Reading construction drawings and AS 1684 framing rules
- Setting out floors, walls and roofs from plans
- Wall and roof framing with timber and engineered LVL
- Formwork for footings, slabs and retaining walls
- Fix-out work including doors, skirting and stairs
- Power-tool maintenance and battery-platform fluency
- White-card site induction and basic working-at-heights
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 or above with maths and English
- 2Get a White Card (CPCWHS1001) to be allowed on construction sites
- 3Sign a 4-year apprenticeship with a builder or a Group Training Organisation
- 4Complete the CPC30220 Certificate III in Carpentry through TAFE block-release or day-release
- 5Optional - complete a Certificate IV in Building and Construction (CPC40120) to become a registered builder
- 6In QLD and TAS, apply for the relevant contractor or trade-contractor licence before working unsupervised above the threshold
Where you can work
- Residential builders on new estates and renovations
- Commercial construction contractors on offices, hospitals and schools
- Formwork specialists on large-pour projects
- Shop-fitters in retail and hospitality fit-outs
- Heritage restoration crews
- Local council maintenance teams
- Self-employed sole trader or small subcontracting team
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice4 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice carpenter, Fourth-year apprentice carpenter
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Domestic carpenter, Commercial carpenter, Formworker
- Leading hand or foreman5-10 yearsTypical roles: Leading hand, Site foreman, Project carpenter
- Subcontractor or builder8+ yearsTypical roles: Sole-trader carpenter, Registered builder, Construction business owner
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You'd rather be on your feet than at a desk
- You're comfortable working outdoors year-round
- You enjoy seeing a frame go up from a slab in a week
- You're handy with maths and can read a tape measure quickly
- You don't mind starting work at first light
This might not suit you if
- You can't commit to 4 years of low apprentice pay
- Your back, knees or shoulders can't handle 8 hours of lifting and bending
- You'd rather work in air conditioning year-round
- You can't tolerate noisy sites with multiple trades running at once
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
Not nationally licensed. Some states impose contractor licensing once work exceeds a value threshold.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | Building Commission NSW (contractor licence for residential work over $5,000) |
| VIC | No trade-specific licence listed |
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction Commission (above $3,300) |
| SA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| WA | No trade-specific licence listed |
| TAS | Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Tasmania |
| NT | No trade-specific licence listed |
| ACT | No trade-specific licence listed |