Carpenter Apprenticeship in Colorado

Wages, programs & career outlook

Carpenters frame buildings, install doors and windows, build cabinets, and finish out interiors — everything from stud walls to stair treads. The trade splits into rough (framing, structural) and finish (trim, cabinetry) specialties, often overlapping on a job.

CO Median Salary
$59,490/yr
+0% vs. national
National Median
$59,310/yr
CO Employment
13,840
Carpenters employed
CO Sponsors
4
Registered programs
Training Term
4.0 yrs
Time-Based
Job Growth
4.5%
2024–2034 projected
Annual Openings
74,100
Nationally, per yr

Carpenter Apprenticeship in Colorado: Quick Facts

What apprenticeship means here

A registered carpenter apprenticeship in Colorado combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 4.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.

Colorado pay vs. national

Median carpenter wages in Colorado are $59,490/year, +0% above the national median of $59,310. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.

Where to find programs

Colorado has 4 registered apprenticeship sponsors for carpenter listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.

Job-market outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.5% job growth for carpenters nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 74,100 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — Colorado-specific outlook can vary from national figures.

Colorado Wage Spread

Annual wages for Carpenters in Colorado across all experience levels.

10th pct
$40,000
Median
$59,490
90th pct
$75,680
Middle 50% of workers earn $48,870$66,140

Current Carpenter Apprenticeship Openings in Colorado

No carpenter apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Colorado. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.

Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.

Carpenter Apprenticeship Sponsors in Colorado

4 carpenter-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Colorado. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current carpenter apprenticeship openings.

Organization City County
Keating Woodworks Colorado Springs El Paso County
Carpet/Linoleum/Tile Layer S/W JATC Denver Jefferson County
Colorado Carpenters & Affiliated Trades JATC Denver Denver County
Hands of The Carpenter Golden Jefferson County
Search apprenticeship.gov for current Carpenter openings

Filter by occupation code 47-2031 and state CO for the most relevant results.

Carpenter Apprenticeship in Colorado

With 4 trade-specific sponsors in our directory, Colorado's Carpenter apprenticeship landscape is limited. Candidates should also consider nearby states or contact national union offices for referrals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Carpenters earn in Colorado?
The median annual wage for Carpenters in Colorado is $59,490 as of May 2024. Wages range from $40,000 at the 10th percentile to $75,680 at the 90th percentile.
What is the length of a Carpenter apprenticeship program?
Most Carpenter apprenticeships run 4 years. Apprentices work under a journeyman while attending classes, typically earning wages from day one with scheduled increases.
What's the difference between a Carpenter apprenticeship and trade school?
The key difference: apprenticeships pay you during training while trade schools charge tuition. Many employers prefer apprenticeship-trained Carpenters, but trade school can give you a head start on the classroom requirements.
How do I find a Carpenter apprenticeship in Colorado?
Contact one of the 4 Carpenter-adjacent registered sponsors in Colorado (listed below), or search apprenticeship.gov for current openings. Local union halls, community colleges, and the state apprenticeship agency are good first stops.
Do Carpenter apprentices get paid during training?
Apprentices are paid employees from the start. In Colorado, a first-year Carpenter apprentice might earn around $29,745/yr (roughly half the $59,490 journeyman median), with scheduled raises throughout the 4-year program.

Prefer Trade School Instead?

Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Carpenters also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.

Compare 15 Carpenters programs nationwide →
Too few Colorado-based programs to compare locally — see the national list and filter.

Carpenter in Other States

Other Apprenticeships in Colorado

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2024, DOL RAPIDS Registered Apprenticeship database, ApprenticeshipUSA Sponsor Directory.