Carpenter

O*NET: Carpenters·47-2031.00

The Verdict:Construction sites vary endlessly — uneven terrain, warped lumber, tight spaces demanding hands-on cuts, fits, and assemblies no robot handles. AI aids blueprints and estimates, but physical building and on-site fixes stay human. Labor shortages and steady demand bolster the trade over the next decade.

Resilience Score

/100

Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$59k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

+4.5%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 4 of 30 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

13%

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
22 of 30 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 13% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

4exposed

4AI leverage

22human-essential

View all 30 tasks

AI Can Handle This4 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

Maintain records, document actions, and present written progress reports.

Maintain job records and schedule work crew.

Select and order lumber or other required materials.

Prepare cost estimates for clients or employers.

AI Leverage4 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

Measure and mark cutting lines on materials, using a ruler, pencil, chalk, and marking gauge.

Study specifications in blueprints, sketches, or building plans to prepare project layout and determine dimensions and materials required.

Arrange for subcontractors to deal with special areas, such as heating or electrical wiring work.

Use drones for site surveying and to inspect hard-to-reach areas of a structure.

Human Advantage22 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Follow established safety rules and regulations and maintain a safe and clean environment.

Assemble and fasten materials to make frameworks or props, using hand tools and wood screws, nails, dowel pins, or glue.

Shape or cut materials to specified measurements, using hand tools, machines, or power saws.

Verify trueness of structure, using plumb bob and level.

Inspect ceiling or floor tile, wall coverings, siding, glass, or woodwork to detect broken or damaged structures.

Erect scaffolding or ladders for assembling structures above ground level.

Install structures or fixtures, such as windows, frames, floorings, trim, or hardware, using carpenters' hand or power tools.

Remove damaged or defective parts or sections of structures and repair or replace, using hand tools.

Anchor and brace forms and other structures in place, using nails, bolts, anchor rods, steel cables, planks, wedges, and timbers.

Bore boltholes in timber, masonry or concrete walls, using power drill.

Install rough door and window frames, subflooring, fixtures, or temporary supports in structures undergoing construction or repair.

Dig or direct digging of post holes and set poles to support structures.

Cover subfloors with building paper to keep out moisture and lay hardwood, parquet, or wood-strip-block floors by nailing floors to subfloor or cementing them to mastic or asphalt base.

Construct forms or chutes for pouring concrete.

Build or repair cabinets, doors, frameworks, floors, or other wooden fixtures used in buildings, using woodworking machines, carpenter's hand tools, or power tools.

Finish surfaces of woodwork or wallboard in houses or buildings, using paint, hand tools, or paneling.

Work with or remove hazardous material.

Fill cracks or other defects in plaster or plasterboard and sand patch, using patching plaster, trowel, and sanding tool.

Perform minor plumbing, welding, or concrete mixing work.

Apply shock-absorbing, sound-deadening, or decorative paneling to ceilings or walls.

Examine structural timbers and supports to detect decay, and replace timbers as required, using hand tools, nuts, and bolts.

Build sleds from logs and timbers for use in hauling camp buildings and machinery through wooded areas.

Resilience Landscape

Carpenter lands in Stable, Lower Pay

Higher Resilience Paths in Trades

Trades

Carpenter

Task Analysis

Resilience Landscape

Higher Resilience Paths in Trades

Aircraft Mechanic

Automotive Mechanic

Locksmith