Carpenters salary in Philadelphia, PA
Median pay for carpenters in Philadelphia, PA: $58,910/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $34,870 – $103,960 · about 12,600 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($49,990) by +$8,920 (+18%).
What it's really worth in Philadelphia
With Philadelphia's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $58,910 has the buying power of about $57,550 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $85,555 · median home $390,463 · median rent $1,914/mo.
How Philadelphia ranks for this job
On raw pay, Philadelphia, PA is 55th of the 187 metros we hold carpenters wages for. Once Philadelphia's cost of living is applied, it ranks 61st.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Philadelphia sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Philadelphia
A median home in Philadelphia, PA costs $390,463 — about 6.6× 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 $1,914/mo works out at 39% 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 Philadelphia.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu, HI | $90,030 | +53% | 1.6× |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $80,260 | +36% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $79,730 | +35% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $75,600 | +28% | 1.9× |
Same job elsewhere in PA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Philadelphia | Rent vs Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh, PA | $59,390 | +1% | 0.8× |
| Scranton, PA | $57,160 | −3% | 0.7× |
| Allentown, PA | $56,880 | −3% | 1× |
| York, PA | $55,550 | −6% | 0.7× |
Staying in PA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Philadelphia
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.