Retraining ReportJob training public funding can pay for

Find training
A smiling carpenter planes a board in a workshop stacked with timber

Carpentry classes by state

361 carpentry programs in 39 states and 1 territory, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved carpentry classes?

247 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a carpenter do, and how do you become one?

Carpenters build, repair and install building frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials. Most have a high school diploma and learn on the job or through an apprenticeship.1

VI4
Approved programsup to 23 to 67 to 13more than 13

How much do carpentry classes cost?

Most carpentry programs approved for WIOA funding cost $2,248 to $7,000 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $2,100 to $6,026 and two-year degrees $7,750 to $13,012. Prices also differ by state: most cost $906 to $3,396 in California and $7,124 to $17,000 in Pennsylvania.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare carpentry classes by state: cost, pay and results

Carpentry classes by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama2Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Alaska15$2,718 to $6,684about $24,90061%94%
Arizona9$2,161 to $3,362Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Arkansas4Too few figures to show
California8$906 to $3,396Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Delaware2Not enough dataLeft outNot enough dataNot enough data
Florida12$3,464 to $5,358Not enough dataNot enough data70%
Georgia5$2,526 to $5,736Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Hawaii5$3,300 to $11,678Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Illinois13Left outNot reportedNot reportedNot reported
Indiana17$2,375 to $5,840Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Iowa12$5,923 to $10,836about $27,20059%59%
Kansas4Too few figures to show
Kentucky11Too few figures to show
Louisiana5$4,400 to $6,000Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
Maine1Too few figures to show
Maryland2Too few figures to show
Massachusetts1No figures reported
Michigan11$4,500 to $10,000Not enough dataNot enough data89%
Minnesota20$5,403 to $9,011about $28,70073%63%
Mississippi13$3,942 to $7,750about $14,60063%Left out
Missouri20$5,073 to $11,924Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Nebraska3Too few figures to show
New Hampshire5$2,100Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
New Jersey2Too few figures to show
New York1No figures reported
North Carolina6$190 to $3,270Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
North Dakota4Too few figures to show
Ohio17$3,490 to $10,299Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Oklahoma9$2,100 to $2,351about $30,500Left out82%
Pennsylvania20$7,124 to $17,000Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
South Dakota1Too few figures to show
Texas17$1,716 to $4,495Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
US Virgin Islands4Too few figures to show
Utah3Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Vermont2Too few figures to show
Virginia16$1,609 to $2,388Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Washington41$1,272 to $6,683about $38,80059%36%
Wisconsin17$3,800 to $5,909about $36,90069%75%
Wyoming1Too few figures to show

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer carpentry classes too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Carpentry school or apprenticeship? What the 361 programs are

By kind, the 361 programs approved for WIOA funding are carpentry certificate or diploma (153 programs), short course or single level (64 programs), construction and building trades (51 programs), carpentry apprenticeship (37 programs), and 56 more of 3 other kinds. An apprenticeship is a paid job with classroom teaching, and you apply to the employer or the program sponsor.2

Across the US, 150 of the 361 programs take students without a high school diploma, 170 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 41 ask for earlier courses first.

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Are there free carpentry classes in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the carpentry program numbers by state come from

Which carpentry programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).7 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about carpentry classes

Show the 7 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Carpenters
  2. US Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov: Discover Apprenticeship: Earn While You Learn Today (fact sheet)
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List