How Much Do I Make as a Carpenter in 2026

Comments · 340

• NO

  @Nortydesign · 7 months ago

  I was charging $65 per hour about 5 years ago. If i was working for myself now that would be a mates rate, Jobs I have done for myself recently are around $75-$90 per. And there's been rectification works from poor workmanship from other chippies/builders that were charging those same top $$. That being said its nothing compared to Builders I've heard from clients of builders charging around $100-$150 an hour. Also $35 per hour wages is dismal, chippies were getting that 20 years ago. Everything else has gone up how do you maintain 30k worth of tools on $1200 bucks a week with todays cost of living. One tool craps itself and you work all week just to pay to replace it, while I'm sitting in the corner at smoko eating my 2 minute noodles cause that's all I can afford to eat. Meanwhile ya boss is buying matching dual cab Landcruiser's and going on holidays, buying boats, jet skis and new houses. The End, That's my rant about being a chippy.

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• LU

  @lukehenry6334 · 7 months ago

  $28 an hour fresh out my time (18 years ago). Then $30 for a couple years, then $35 for another couple, then fifo $65-$70 for a few years, finished fifo and ended up being an installer for a fencing and gates company for $30-$35 with a car for 6 years. Now have my own business doing glass pool fencing/ ally fencing and gates/ automation etc and it works out to around $100+ an hour. Good thing about Carpentry is the skills are transferable to so many different types of jobs, find your niche and run with it. You'll be forever learning.

  50

• DA

  @DaveDoesCarpentry · 7 months ago

  My rate is still on the lower side today, but it is a similar rate I see a lot of people charging. <br>A lot of people will charge a lot more than this rate, but typically won’t have consistent work every day with the same builder/carpentry crew. For a higher rate you’ll spend alot more time sourcing work and occasionally have quiet periods with no work.<br>These are also average wages, and there is a big gap between really good carpenters who are worth a good wage, and average carpenters.

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• LA

  @landslide4187 · 7 months ago

  It is really interesting hearing this perspective. My advice to apprentices is, as soon as you have the knowledge, become your own boss, as that&apos;s where the money is. As a consumer, I get crazy quotes from builders and trades. When I cost out the jobs, the labour component is usually higher than the materials, and the hourly rate is crazy because the contractor is profiting off each employee. I&apos;m sure the actual labourers aren&apos;t getting this, and it is the business owner who is pocketing thousands.

  9

• DP

  @DPDdutch · 7 months ago

  you didnt watch enough scottbrown carpentry , those pencil lines my man !! 😉

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• TW

  @twot2mes · 7 months ago (edited)

  Keep up the awesome work dave <br>Your work speaks volumes very awesome

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• MR

  @mr265t · 7 months ago (edited)

  I work for a cleaning company casual and get $36hr and work 5 and a half hours a day and have a better work life and get time during the day to work on my hobbies and side hustle, so i think that chippies deserve more.<br>My previous job was in car restoration

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• MA

  @markspalding6092 · 7 months ago (edited)

  Well done Dave! Finally someone who’s honest and doesn’t talk bullshit. So many young chippies out there with hugely inflated senses of their worth. Most of them these days aren’t even taught properly

  35

• OL

  @ollier5327 · 7 months ago

  When I finished my time in 2019 I was on just shy of $28/hr. Leading hand running 3 apprentices. Went to a handyman role after that which was paying $34/hr and you didn’t even need to be qualified in a trade.

  5

• JA

  @JaCk-74264 · 7 months ago

  Love you videos it&apos;s quite sad that most people think that carpentry isn&apos;t a good job because you can&apos;t make much money however you can actually make quite a lot if you play your cards right😊❤ great video

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• JA

  @JaCk-74264 · 7 months ago

  Doing frames lots of people think you can make loads of money doing it however you&apos;ve got to be efficient and quick to make money and do a good job and do it safely😊

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• F1

  @f1nesave · 7 months ago

  Hey mate Im a chippie too that deck looks mint you should be charging over 90+ for your skills!

  3