With a vital part to play in all stages of the construction process, carpentry is one of the oldest known professions in the world.
Regarded as highly-skilled craftspeople, a carpenter’s skillset is not only incredibly sought-after but also extremely versatile, opening up numerous exciting and potentially lucrative career paths.
What career paths are available to carpenters?
A carpentry qualification can open up a variety of different career paths. The most ‘typical’ role involves constructing, erecting, installing and repairing structures on site, in a workshop or in a client’s home or business.
Beyond that, there are specialist career paths such as construction estimating, contracts management, stage set construction, shopfitting, heritage restoration and furniture design.
There may also be the opportunity to take those valuable skills into the classroom, training apprentices and teaching at a further education college or private training centre.
How much do carpenters earn?
According to Indeed’s latest data, the average salary for a carpenter in the UK is £44,265, though that figure can fluctuate depending on where in the country you work. The average starting salary sits around the £17,000 mark.
Setting up your own carpentry business also opens up the possibility of earning a higher figure as you’re able to set your own rates and workloads.
Are carpenters in high demand?
According to this year’s edition of Rated People’s Home Trends Report, carpenters and joiners are expected to be one of the busiest trades throughout 2022, with 85% of those surveyed saying they predicted a ‘very busy’ twelve months.
Meanwhile, research carried out by the Construction Skills Network (CSN) (via Construction News) suggests the demand is here to stay for the foreseeable. The recent paper found that the built environment requires an additional 266,000 workers to meet projected UK construction demand over the next four years, with a particular focus on attracting and retaining qualified carpenters, along with joiners and construction managers.