Carpenters employ an expansive mathematical skill set to complete construction projects and other manual tasks. From basic math to calculate floor space and wall heights, to more complex trigonometric formulas to make right angle cuts, carpenters throughout the country counter the stereotype that they’re more brawn than brain. They use more than muscle and endurance to complete their jobs well.

Joe Weisling, a carpenter with decades of experience who is also a training administrator for the Southeast Wisconsin Carpentry Training Center, challenges misconceptions about his profession. "There are those that feel that the construction industry has no future. There are those that believe that you have to have a size 19 neck and a size 4 hat. In other words, you’ve got to be all brawn and no brain. There are those that seem to think that it’s only a man’s world," he says.

Many carpenters work in the residential and nonresidential building construction industries. Others work for contractors in building finishing or foundation, structure and building exteriors. Unlike cement masons, who primarily pour, smooth and finish concrete floors, sidewalks, roads and curbs, carpenters mostly construct and repair building frameworks and structures such as stairways and door frames.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 0.9% employment growth for carpenters between 2022 and 2032. In that period, an estimated 8,600 jobs should open up.

After earning a high school diploma or its equivalent, prospective carpenters should complete an apprenticeship program. Weisling says this is the best way to learn the ropes of the profession. Requirements vary by region and program, but carpentry apprentices must complete a set number of hours of technical training and paid on-the-job training in the areas of basic carpentry, blueprint reading, mathematics and building code requirements. Additional requirements include completing and passing safety training courses. Carpenters may also receive additional training in specialized areas, like scaffold building.

Prospective carpenters should research union and contractor associations in their cities or towns, as several of them sponsor apprenticeship programs.