Carpenter Salary in Scotland
Official ONS earnings for Scotland, covering 10,000 jobs.
Median salary — Scotland
£37,136
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 9.8% change on the previous year
Mean
£36,831
Jobs measured
10,000
What a typical carpenter takes home
On the median of £37,136, 2026/27 tax year, Scottish rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,518
Take-home a year
£30,221
Income Tax
£4,950
National Insurance
£1,965
What most carpenters actually earn
Half of carpenters in Scotland earn between £30,856 and £44,773. Earning above £44,773 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Construction and Building Trades” group in Scotland.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of carpenters earn less than this.
How Scotland ranks for carpenter pay
2nd
of 3 GB regions with a published figure
South West tops the table on £37,256 and Yorkshire and The Humber sits at the bottom on £31,747. Scotland is £120 short of the top.
Ranking compares published regional medians for the same occupation. It says nothing about cost of living — a higher median doesn't survive contact with rent. The cost of living calculator is the honest next step.
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Carpenters and joiners
- SOC 2020 code
- 5316
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
Carpenter salary FAQs
What is the average Carpenter salary in Scotland?
The median is £37,136 a year and the mean is £36,831, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
How much does a carpenter earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £17.27 excluding overtime, or £17.50 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for Scotland.
What is a good Carpenter salary?
Half of carpenters earn between £30,856 and £44,773. Anything above £44,773 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a carpenter?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of carpenters earn under £23,104 and the lowest quarter under £30,856 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do carpenters in Scotland earn more than the UK average?
The median in Scotland is £37,136 against £35,164 across the UK, 5.6% higher, which places it 2nd highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise estimate.
Has carpenter pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +9.8% for this occupation in Scotland. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many carpenters are there in Scotland?
ASHE counts around 10,000 employee jobs in “Carpenters and joiners” (SOC 5316) in Scotland. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
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