Carpenter or joiner

Turn timber into staircases, roofs, doors, kitchens and fitted furniture – on site or at the workshop bench.

Salary£24,000 – £40,000
Hours40 to 45 hours a week; occasional evenings and weekends (National Careers Service)
Working for yourselfSelf-employment is common

What the job is like

Carpenters and joiners make, fit and repair things made of wood: roof timbers, floors, door frames, staircases, kitchens, shopfronts and even stage sets. Joiners tend to make components in a workshop, while site carpenters fit them in buildings, but many people do both.

If you enjoy woodwork, measuring carefully and seeing something solid take shape, this is one of the most varied trades there is. Experience can lead to supervision, heritage restoration, set building, estimating or your own business.

What you'll do

Discuss plans and instructions with clients or site managers
Measure, mark out and cut timber accurately
Make and fit staircases, door frames, roof timbers and partition walls
Fit floors, skirting boards, doors and windows
Install kitchen units, cabinets and shelving
Build timber shuttering that holds concrete while it sets
Fit out shops, bars, restaurants and offices
Build sets for theatre, film and TV

Where you'll work

Workshop or studio
Construction sites
In customers' homes
Indoors
Working at height
In a team
On your own

Skills and hobbies that help

Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.

Key skills

Used a lot

Handy to have

Physical fitness

Hobbies that give you a head start

How to become a carpenter or joiner

Apprenticeship

Carpentry and Joinery – Level 2 apprenticeship (ST0264), typical duration 24 months; job titles include site carpenter and architectural joiner.

Craft Carpentry and Joinery – Level 3 apprenticeship (ST0263), typical duration 15 months, for advanced site carpenters and architectural joiners.

Onsite Trades Level 2 Foundation Apprenticeship as a first step for 16 to 21 year olds (or 22 to 24 in some circumstances).

College

Bench joinery or site carpentry courses teach the basics and can help you find a trainee position; entry requirements vary.

Other ways in

If you are changing career, look for short or part-time taster courses at local colleges to try the trade first.

Qualifications, licences and cards

CSCS card (or equivalent) – most principal contractors expect one before you work on a construction site

Where it can lead

Site supervisor or construction project manager
Construction estimating or contracts management
Specialist work such as set building or heritage restoration
Facilities maintenance for a hospital or housing association
Training apprentices, teaching in further education or running your own business

Good to know

The National Careers Service profile still mentions the Onsite Construction T Level, but the Department for Education lists September 2024 as its final enrolment, and it no longer appears on the T Levels subject list. For this trade, look at college diplomas or apprenticeships instead.
Workshops and sites can be dusty and some work is at height, so you may need protective clothing.
Wood Machinist (Level 2) and Wood Product Manufacturing Operative (Level 2) apprenticeships suit people who prefer machine work in manufacturing.

Courses and training

Apprenticeship search

Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK

The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.

Visit Find an apprenticeship
Course search

Find a course – National Careers Service

The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.

Visit Find a course

See all courses and funding

Official information

Sources

We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.

National Careers Service: Carpenter nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/carpenter
Carpentry and joinery (Level 2, ST0264) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0264-v1-4
Craft carpentry and joinery (Level 3, ST0263) skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0263-v1-3
Introduction of T Levels (GOV.UK) gov.uk/government/publications/introduction-of-t-levels/introduction-of-t-levels
T Level subjects tlevels.gov.uk/students/subjects
cscs.uk.com cscs.uk.com/about/
Go Construct: Carpenter goconstruct.org/construction-careers/what-jobs-are-right-for-me/carpenter