Concrete Carpenter Salary by City: What You Make in 2026's Biggest U.S. Markets
Quick Answer
Concrete carpenters earn between $24 and $52 per hour depending on market, experience, and union status. Nationally, the median sits around $31–$34/hr. High-cost union markets like San Francisco and Seattle push past $45/hr for journeymen. Lower-cost Sun Belt markets without strong union density typically land in the high $20s. Foremen and lead carpenters typically earn 15–25% above journeyman rates in the same market.
Why Your Market Matters More Than Your Resume
Most pay conversations in the trades focus on experience or certifications. Those factors matter, but the single biggest lever on your paycheck is geography. A skilled concrete carpenter in San Francisco can earn $20,000 more per year than an equally skilled one in Phoenix, doing the same work, with the same tools, on the same type of project.
This article breaks down what concrete carpenters actually earn across major U.S. construction markets, what drives those differences, and how to use market data when you're evaluating a job offer or deciding where to work.
The gap between the lowest- and highest-paying major U.S. markets for concrete carpenters can exceed $20/hr — a difference of more than $40,000 per year for full-time work.
What Is a Concrete Carpenter? Scope and Classification
Concrete carpenters — also called formwork carpenters or form setters — build, set, and strip the wood and metal forms that hold concrete in place during pours. On commercial, industrial, and civil projects, this work includes:
Foundation walls and footings
Elevated slabs and post-shores
Columns, beams, and shear walls
Bridge decking and tunnel liners
Tilt-up panel bracing and gang form systems
Concrete carpenters fall under the broader Carpenters trade classification (Bureau of Labor Statistics SOC 47-2031), but on large commercial and civil projects they often operate as a distinct specialty with its own crew structure. Union workers are typically covered by United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBCJA) local agreements, which set jurisdiction and wage scales by district.
Concrete carpenters on large civil and industrial projects are a distinct specialty — not interchangeable with finish carpenters or residential framers.
Concrete Carpenter Wages Across Major U.S. Markets
The figures below reflect journeyman-level concrete carpenters with 3–7 years of experience. They incorporate reported wages from BLS Occupational Employment data, union local wage schedules (where applicable), and prevailing wage determinations for public projects.
| Market | Median hourly | Median annual | Top 10% hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $42–$48 | $87,000–$100,000 | $58+ |
| Seattle, WA | $40–$46 | $83,000–$96,000 | $55+ |
| New York, NY | $39–$47 | $81,000–$98,000 | $57+ |
| Chicago, IL | $36–$42 | $75,000–$87,000 | $52+ |
| Houston, TX | $28–$34 | $58,000–$71,000 | $44+ |
| Dallas, TX | $27–$33 | $56,000–$69,000 | $42+ |
| Phoenix, AZ | $26–$32 | $54,000–$66,000 | $40+ |
| Atlanta, GA | $25–$31 | $52,000–$64,000 | $39+ |
| Charlotte, NC | $24–$30 | $50,000–$62,000 | $38+ |
| Denver, CO | $32–$38 | $66,000–$79,000 | $48+ |
San Francisco and Seattle top the chart at $42–$48/hr median for journeymen — roughly 60% higher than Atlanta or Charlotte at the same experience level.
What Drives Wage Differences Between Markets
Union Density and Collective Bargaining
Markets with high union density, especially where UBCJA locals negotiate project labor agreements (PLAs) on public and large private work consistently pay more. San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, and New York all have strong UBCJA presence. Union wage scales in these markets set the floor for the entire local labor market, pushing up open-shop rates alongside them.
In strong union markets, even non-union contractors typically pay within 85–90% of the union scale to compete for workers.
Prevailing Wage Laws and Public Work
Prevailing wage requirements on federally funded and state-funded projects mandate that workers be paid the area's prevailing wage, which is often equivalent to union scale. Markets with heavy infrastructure investment (transportation, water, energy) generate more prevailing-wage hours, which pulls overall reported wages up.
States like California, Illinois, and Washington have strong prevailing wage laws covering a wide range of projects. Texas and several Southeast states have no state prevailing wage law, and federal Davis-Bacon requirements apply narrowly to direct federal contracts.
In states without prevailing wage laws, public project wages for concrete carpenters can run $8–$12/hr below comparable work in states with strong prevailing wage coverage.
Cost of Living and Labor Market Tightness
High cost-of-living markets generally pay more in nominal terms, but purchasing power doesn't always scale proportionally. A concrete carpenter earning $45/hr in San Francisco may have less buying power than one earning $32/hr in Denver. That said, tight labor markets where construction volume exceeds available craft labor supply produce real wage pressure regardless of cost of living.
Denver is a notable example: wages have risen faster than the national average over the past five years due to a sustained construction boom alongside moderate population growth in the skilled trades pipeline.
Project Type Mix
Markets dominated by heavy civil, industrial, or high-rise commercial work pay more than those concentrated in mid-rise residential or light commercial. Concrete carpenters on bridge work, tunneling, industrial foundations, or high-rise core-and-shell projects command premiums over those working primarily on tilt-up warehouses or low-rise commercial slabs.
Industrial and civil concrete carpenter work typically pays 10–20% more than commercial work in the same market, reflecting the complexity and safety requirements of those project types.
Union vs. Open Shop: What the Difference Means for Your Pay
This is the comparison that generates the most questions from workers evaluating job offers. The short answer: union typically pays more in base wages and benefits, but open-shop work offers more flexibility in some markets and can be competitive in tight labor conditions.
| Factor | Union (UBCJA) | Open shop / merit |
|---|---|---|
| Base wage (mid-market) | $38–$52/hr | $26–$36/hr |
| Benefits package | Defined pension + full health | Varies widely |
| Overtime rules | Strict (1.5x after 8 hrs) | Varies by contractor |
| Apprenticeship access | Structured 4-yr program | OJT / informal |
| Work availability | Dispatch hall / steady | Contractor-dependent |
| Travel pay | Common on large projects | Negotiated |
The benefits gap is where union affiliation has its clearest advantage. Union pension contributions, health insurance, and annuity contributions often add $10–$18/hr on top of base wages in strong markets. Open-shop employers may offer benefits packages, but quality and consistency vary significantly by contractor.
When benefits are included, the total compensation gap between union and open-shop concrete carpenters in a mid-tier market is typically $8–$15/hr — not just the base wage difference.
How Experience and Crew Level Affect Your Rate
Within any market, where you sit in the crew hierarchy has a direct impact on pay. The typical progression for concrete carpenters:
Apprentice (Year 1–2): 50–70% of journeyman scale
Apprentice (Year 3–4): 70–90% of journeyman scale
Journeyman: Full scale as negotiated or market rate
Lead/Gang Foreman: Journeyman scale + $3–$6/hr
General Foreman / Superintendent: Journeyman scale + $8–$15/hr or salaried
A concrete carpenter who moves into a foreman role on a mid-size commercial project can typically add $6,000–$12,000 per year to their base earnings in most markets.
Specialized skills also command premiums within the trade. Carpenters certified on engineered gang form systems (Doka, PERI, EFCO), post-tensioned slab work, or structural tilt-up often negotiate higher rates with individual contractors, independent of posted wage scales.
Total Compensation: Overtime, Per Diem, and Benefits
Base hourly rate is only part of the picture for most concrete carpenters. Large commercial and civil projects routinely run 50–60 hour weeks during production phases, meaning overtime pay — typically 1.5x base — can represent 20–35% of total annual earnings.
Per diem and travel pay matter for workers who follow major projects. Industrial projects in remote locations or work in markets where cost-of-living subsidies are standard can add $50–$150/day on top of wages. Some union agreements include built-in travel provisions for work outside the local's jurisdiction.
On a project with consistent 55-hour weeks and a $35/hr base rate, overtime alone adds roughly $12,000–$15,000 annually over a 40-hour base — before benefits or per diem.
FAQ: Concrete Carpenter Pay — 8 Questions Craft Workers Ask
1. What is the average concrete carpenter salary in the United States?
The national median for concrete carpenters (classified under BLS SOC 47-2031 Carpenters with formwork specialization) falls in the range of $31–$36/hr, or approximately $64,000–$75,000 annually for full-time work. This varies significantly by market, union status, and project type.
2. Do concrete carpenters make more than finish carpenters?
Generally yes, especially on commercial and civil projects. Concrete formwork is physically demanding, time-sensitive, and requires work in confined or elevated conditions that finish carpentry does not. In union markets, both trades fall under UBCJA but may have different rate schedules by local. On prevailing wage work, concrete carpenters on heavy civil projects typically out-earn finish carpenters.
3. What does a concrete carpenter make in California?
California is the highest-paying state for concrete carpenters in the nation. Los Angeles journeymen on prevailing wage work earn $48–$55/hr including fringe benefits. San Francisco is comparable. Even in interior California markets like Sacramento and Fresno, prevailing wage scales for commercial and public work push wages well above the national median.
4. What is the highest-paying market for concrete carpenters?
San Francisco and Seattle consistently top the charts for base wages. When total compensation (pension, health, annuity) is factored in, the San Francisco Bay Area UBCJA locals produce all-in compensation packages that can reach $80–$90/hr equivalent for experienced journeymen on prevailing wage projects.
5. How much more does a union concrete carpenter make?
In markets with strong union presence, union concrete carpenters typically earn 15–30% more in base wages than open-shop counterparts in the same market. When benefits are included, the gap widens to 30–50% total compensation. In markets with weak union density (Texas, Southeast), the gap narrows significantly.
6. What do concrete carpenters make in Texas?
Texas does not have a state prevailing wage law, and union density in construction is low relative to coastal markets. Concrete carpenters in Houston and Dallas typically earn $27–$34/hr. Industrial and petrochemical work in the Gulf Coast region pays higher, sometimes reaching $38–$42/hr for experienced workers on turnaround and capital project work.
7. How does concrete carpenter pay compare to ironworkers or operators?
Ironworkers (rod busters) and operating engineers (crane, excavation equipment) typically earn 10–20% more than concrete carpenters in the same market on heavy civil and industrial projects, reflecting the higher-risk and specialized nature of those trades. On mid-rise commercial work, the gap is smaller. Concrete carpenters and ironworkers frequently work side-by-side on reinforced concrete pours, and the wage difference is meaningful but not dramatic.
8. What should I look for when evaluating a concrete carpenter job offer?
Beyond the base rate, evaluate: (1) overtime expectations and how consistently the job runs 50+ hours versus 40; (2) benefits quality for health, pension, 401k, and whether there's a defined benefit or contribution match; (3) whether the project qualifies as prevailing wage, which affects both rate and continuity; (4) travel and per diem if the project is out of your local area; and (5) the contractor's reputation for steady work versus frequent layoffs between projects.
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