How to become a carpenter or joiner

Official title: Carpenters and joiners

Also called: Joiner, Carpenter, Bench joiner, Joiner foreman, Joiner-builder, Carpenter-diver, Aircraft joiner, Carpenter-joiner, Builder's joiner, Joiner-carpenter, Joiner-machinist, Carpenter-builder

Carpenters and joiners construct, erect, install and repair wooden structures and fittings used in internal and external frameworks and cut, shape, fit and assemble wood to make templates, jigs, scale models and scenic equipment for theatres.

Main tasks

• Examines drawings and specifications to determine job requirements
• Selects and measures appropriate wood and cuts, shapes and drills to specification using saws, planes, chisels and other power or hand tools
• Aligns and fixes prepared wood pieces by screwing, nailing, gluing and dowelling to form frames, shop fronts, counter units, decking, theatrical sets, furniture, small wooden craft, scale models and wooden templates
• Checks accuracy of work with square, rule and spirit level
• Maintains and repairs woodwork and fittings

How to become one

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Carpentry and joinery (level 2). England. Typically 24 months. Skills England standard ST0264.
• Apprenticeship (England): Craft carpentry and joinery (level 3). England. Typically 15 months. Skills England standard ST0263.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £34,014 a year The middle half earn £28,900 to £40,477.
• About 200,600 people work in this job now, and about 188,300 are projected by 2035. (-6.1%)

Related jobs

• Steel erectors
• Stonemasons and related trades
• Bricklayers
• Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
• Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers
• Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters

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Questions people ask

How do I become a carpenter or joiner?

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.

How much does a carpenter or joiner earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £34,014 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £28,900 to £40,477.

Is a carpenter or joiner a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 200,600 to about 188,300 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a carpenter or joiner?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Carpentry and joinery (level 2).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03