💡 Why it matters: Houses, offices and furniture all need skilled woodworkers. Craft quality and good finishing let carpenters build a strong reputation and charge well for custom work.
🌍 Around the world
- United States: Jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, as fast as average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦500k – ₦1.5M
- Mid-career
- ₦1.8M – ₦4.5M
- Senior
- ₦4.5M – ₦11M
≈ ₦150k – ₦375k a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Median pay; low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low/median/high x 2,080 hours. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Cut, shape and join wood accurately
- Build doors, windows, roofs and cabinets
- Read drawings and measure carefully
- Finish pieces with sanding and varnish
- Use hand tools and power tools safely
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Hands-on skill
- Creativity
- Attention to detail
- Maths
- Patience
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Apprenticeship with a master carpenter
- Trade test certificate and a workshop of your own
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Apprenticeship with a building or joinery firm
- College course, then work as a trainee carpenter
🇺🇸 United States
- Start as a carpenter's helper
- Community college construction programme
🇨🇦 Canada
- Registered apprenticeship through your province, ending in the Red Seal exam
- Start as a carpenter's helper
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Learn drawing and measuring early
- 2Do an apprenticeship or technical college course
- 3Practise on small jobs and furniture
- 4Get certified and build a portfolio
- 5Open a workshop and train apprentices
⏰ A day in the life
You measure a doorway, cut the wood to size and join it with glue and screws. After sanding and varnishing, you deliver a finished wardrobe to a happy customer.