Carpenters salary in Nashville, TN
Median pay for carpenters in Nashville, TN: $51,580/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $36,750 – $63,840 · about 3,720 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($49,990) by +$1,590 (+3%).
What it's really worth in Nashville
With Nashville's cost of living at 97 (US=100), that $51,580 has the buying power of about $53,162 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,020 · median home $455,958 · median rent $1,798/mo.
How Nashville ranks for this job
On raw pay, Nashville, TN is 83rd of the 187 metros we hold carpenters wages for. Once Nashville's cost of living is applied, it ranks 97th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Nashville sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Nashville
A median home in Nashville, TN costs $455,958 — about 8.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,798/mo works out at 42% of gross pay — above the conventional 30% affordability ceiling, so renting would stretch this salary.
Where carpenters earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Nashville.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $90,030 | +75% | 1.7× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $80,260 | +56% | 1.5× |
| San Francisco, CA | $79,730 | +55% | 1.8× |
| San Jose, CA | $75,600 | +47% | 2× |
Same job elsewhere in TN
| Metro | Median pay | vs Nashville | Rent vs Nashville |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TN | $49,650 | −4% | 0.7× |
| Memphis, TN | $47,700 | −8% | 0.8× |
| Chattanooga, TN | $47,360 | −8% | 0.9× |
| Knoxville, TN | $47,310 | −8% | 1× |
Staying in TN keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires carpenters around Nashville
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- State of Tennessee · Government
- Metro Nashville Government · Government
Other jobs in Nashville
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.