Skip to content

Marine careers

Carpenter

Carpenters and joiners make and install wooden structures, fittings and furniture.

Annual Salary

£17,000 to £38,000

Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

40 to 45 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends; occasionally

1.1%
Future employment

There will be 1.1% fewer Carpenter jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

Depending on where you work, you could:

  • discuss plans and job instructions with clients or site managers
  • cut and shape timber for floorboards, doors, skirting boards and window frames
  • make and fit structures like staircases, door frames, roof timbers and partition walls
  • assemble fitted and free-standing furniture
  • install kitchens, cupboards and shelving
  • build wooden supports called shuttering which holds concrete that has not dried yet in place
  • fit interiors in shops, bars, restaurants, offices and public buildings
  • construct stage sets for theatre, film and TV productions

Working environment

You may need to wear protective clothing.

You could work in a workshop, at a client's business, on a construction site or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be dusty, at height and you'll travel often.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
College

You could take a college course like:

  • Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Bench Joinery
  • Level 2 or Level 3 Diploma in Site Carpentry
  • T Level in On Site Construction

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level
For more information
Apprenticeship

You could do a:

  • carpentry and joinery intermediate or advanced apprenticeship with a focus on site carpentry or architectural joinery
  • wood product manufacturing operative intermediate apprenticeship which has a focus on furniture making

You'll do on-the-job training and spend time at college or a training provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
For more information

More information

Career tips

If you're thinking of changing career to carpentry, look out for short or part-time 'taster' courses at your local college. These are designed to help you find out if carpentry is for you.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a carpenter from Go Construct and House Building Careers.

Showing jobs in:
View all vacancies in this region

With experience, you could become a site supervisor or construction project manager.

You could also move into:construction estimating; contracts management; a specialist area like stage sets or heritage restoration; starting your own business; training apprentices; teaching at a further education college

Find out more about teaching in further education from teach in further education.

You can find out more about becoming a carpenter from Go Construct and House Building Careers.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • knowledge of building and construction
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • knowledge of maths
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
  • the ability to work on your own
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
My top 5 skills
Please sign in to compare your skills to this job. Sign in

To save or view your choices and results you must sign in or register (takes 1 minute).

Sign in Register