Average hourly pay for a lead carpenter nationwide is $24.63, according to our sampling of 646 remodelers with payrolls. Average production manager pay is $27.81 an hour. You'll make more in the West, but less in the Southwest, for almost every position surveyed.
Just over half the remodelers polled pay overtime; 66% pay a bonus.
When it comes to benefits, however, remodelers seem less generous, although 77% say they put more than 5% of payroll toward benefits annually. Yet only 60% of remodelers offer vacation pay and paid holidays. Some 37% offer medical benefits, and fewer still, 17%, offer dental benefits.
What Really Keeps Employees?
"The total package and atmosphere."
"Employee ownership."
"Frequent surprise bonuses."
"Higher-than-average salaries."
"I pay every Friday, guaranteed."
"Paying more to those who perform their job well."
"Respect and fairness."
"Young people want cash now!"
"Working on the cool projects that we build with the cool people who work for us."
| Payroll Facts | | 21% use a payroll service | | 52% pay overtime; for 60%, overtime made up 5% or less of payroll in 2001 | | 66% pay a bonus |
| | Remodelers Increase Pay | | Once a year 56% | | Less than once a year 22% | | Twice a year 9% | | More than twice a year 2% | | Other 11% | | (Other includes performance or productivity-based; as profits permit; as prices increase; at duty changes.) |
| | Average Hourly Pay Increases | | $1 or more 39% | | 76 cents to $1 21% | | 51 to 75 cents 16% | | 26 to 50 cents 19% | | 25 cents or less 5% |
|
Employee Salaries - Converted to Hourly Rates |
| POSITION | AVERAGE PAY | HIGH (AVG.)/ REGION | LOW (AVG.)/ REGION |
| Laborer | $10.52 | $11.97/Pacific | $9.00/Southwest |
| Carpenter's Helper | $12.60 | $13.67/Pacific | $11.18/Southwest |
| Novice Carpenter | $13.12 | $14.98/Pacific | $11.97/Southwest |
| Bookkeeper | $16.14 | $19.02/Pacific | $14.13/South |
| Office Manager | $18.73 | $22.66/Pacific | $16.43/Southwest |
| Skilled Carpenter | $21.41 | $26.13/Pacific | $17.92/Southwest |
| Estimator | $22.99 | $27.00/Pacific | $18.73/Southwest |
| Lead Carpenter | $24.63 | $29.83/Pacific | $19.96/Southwest |
| PM/Superintendent | $27.49 | $32.46/Pacific | $21.60/Southwest |
| Production Manager | $27.81 | $33.60/Pacific | $22.88/Southwest |
| Rates for Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico nearly always average the highest of the 10 regions surveyed, by as much as 10% more than the Pacific region, but because of the small sample reporting from this region, they weren't included. |
Snapshot of Participants |
| COMPANY REVENUES |
less than $1M | 69% |
$1M-$2M | 16% |
$2M-$5M | 11% |
$5M+ | 4% |
EMPLOYEES |
5 or fewer | 64% |
6 to 10 | 20% |
11 or more | 16% |
TYPICAL JOB SIZE |
$5K-$20K | 31% |
$75K-plus | 22% |
$20K-$35K | 18% |
less than $5K | 10% |
$35K-$50K | 10% |
$50K-$75K | 9% |
A nationwide sampling of 646 remodelers with payrolls offers insight into pay, benefits, and bonuses.
Employee Salaries - Average Hourly Wages by Company SizeSize of Company by number of employees |
| POSITION | 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-20 | 20+ |
| Laborer | $10.31 | $10.64 | $10.90 | $11.59 |
| Carpenter's Helper | $12.37 | $12.49 | $13.79 | $13.25 |
| Novice Carpenter | $12.96 | $13.14 | $13.51 | $13.90 |
| Bookkeeper | $16.21 | $15.22 | $17.36 | $16.48 |
| Office Manager | $18.68 | $18.07 | $19.37 | $19.43 |
| Skilled Carpenter | $21.33 | $20.80 | $20.44 | $20.94 |
| Estimator | $22.93 | $22.63 | $24.30 | $22.73 |
| Lead Carpenter | $25.04 | $23.65 | $23.83 | $24.00 |
| PM/Superintendent | $28.37 | $25.91 | $27.15 | $25.08 |
| Production Manager | $28.65 | $27.32 | $28.08 | $25.40 |
| How Remodelers Pay Bonuses |
| OF THOSE WHO PAY BONUSES: |
| 73% | Pay a fixed amount |
| 27% | Pay a percentage of pay |
| OF THOSE WHO PAY FIXED AMOUNTS: |
| 35% | Bonus is set by owner |
| 33% | Bonus is based on project performance |
| 29% | Bonus is based on company performance |
| 3% | Bonus is based on a variety of other methods |
| OF THOSE WHO PAY A PERCENTAGE OF PAY OR PROFIT: |
| 21% | Bonus is set by owner |
| 40% | Bonus is based on company performance |
| 38% | Bonus is based on project performance |
| 1% | Bonus is based on a variety of other methods |
| Benefits Brigade | | WHAT BENEFITS DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER? | | Vacation pay 59% | | Paid holidays 58% | | Cell phone 58% | | Tool allowance 40% | | Medical 37% | | Continuing ed. 36% | | Sick pay 30% | | Company vehicle 30% | | 401(k) 25% | | Family leave 17% | | Dental 17% | | Disability 17% | | Other 12% |
| | Annual Benefit Costs | | % OF PAYROLL THAT GOES TOWARD BENEFIT | | 1% to 5% 23% | | 6% to 10% 26% | | 11% to 15% 15% | | 16% to 20% 13% | | 21% or more 23% |
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