How to become a Carpenter

Also called: Barge builder (wood), Bench carpenter, Billboard erector, Construction carpenter, Fixer (carpenter), Maintenance carpenter, Ship carpenter, Stage and studio carpenter, Theatre carpenter, Wood barge builder, Wood boatbuilder, Wood mast and spar maker

Carpenter cuts out, assembles, erects and repairs structural and other woodwork at work bench or on construction site. He/she works from plans, sketches or instructions received and marks out reference points accordingly to facilitate cutting and shaping.

Main tasks

• Making, altering and repairing structural and other woodwork at a work-bench or on a construction site
• Constructing, erecting and installing heavy-framed wooden structures on building sites
• Fitting, assembling and altering internal and external fixtures of buildings, such as walls, doors, door and window frames, facings and panelling
• Making, repairing and fitting scenic equipment for theatrical performances, motion picture or television productions
• Constructing, assembling, altering and repairing wooden fixtures and fittings in train coaches, aircraft, ships, boats, floats and other vehicles

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $34,824 a year. The middle half earn $25,320 to $50,508 a year.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Joiner
• Bricklayer/Blocklayer
• Stonemason/Stone cutter/splitter/carver
• Concrete form worker
• Cement finisher/Screeder
• Scaffolder

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Questions people ask

How much does a Carpenter earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $34,824 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $25,320 to $50,508.

Will AI change the work of a Carpenter?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026