Best Carpenter Schools in Iowa (2026)

Quick answer: Carpenters in Iowa earn a median of $57,710 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited carpenter schools in Iowa with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

This guide rounds up carpenter schools serving Iowa and the local job-market figures worth checking first. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $57,710 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Iowa Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$57,710BLS OEWS, May 2025
Iowa pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$39,040 to $76,540BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Iowa metro for this fieldDes Moines, IA, $61,360BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+4.5% growth, about 74,100 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Federal prevailing wage in Iowa (Davis-Bacon)$29.29 per hour totalDOL WHD Davis-Bacon, 2026
State employment5,770 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Iowa location quotient0.86BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Carpenter Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the Iowa figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How We Rank Schools

We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%

Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

South Central College

North Mankato, MN 127.7 miles away BOC Score 60.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 33.7% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 56
  • Annual completions: 515
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $52,003 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Iowa Lakes Community College

Estherville, IA 104.6 miles away BOC Score 59.8
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 175
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,158 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Riverland Community College

Austin, MN 88.3 miles away BOC Score 59.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 52.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 66
  • Annual completions: 657
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,768 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Southwestern Community College

Creston, IA 108.8 miles away BOC Score 57.2
Tuition $8,064 - $16,951
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 56.4%
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 551
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,650 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

North Iowa Area Community College

Mason City, IA 52.2 miles away BOC Score 57.1
Tuition $6,653 - $17,040
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 57.8%
  • Programs offered: 48
  • Annual completions: 628
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,068 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Northeast Iowa Community College

Calmar, IA 88.0 miles away BOC Score 56.6
Tuition $6,780 - $17,838
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 49.6%
  • Programs offered: 62
  • Annual completions: 492
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,002 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Kirkwood Community College

Cedar Rapids, IA 89.5 miles away BOC Score 56.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 71
  • Annual completions: 1775
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,663 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Indian Hills Community College

Ottumwa, IA 104.9 miles away BOC Score 56.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 59
  • Annual completions: 583
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,322 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Hawkeye Community College

Waterloo, IA 47.8 miles away BOC Score 54.6
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 37.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 779
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $49,163 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Iowa Central Community College

Fort Dodge, IA 47.8 miles away BOC Score 54.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 57
  • Annual completions: 990
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,682 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Rochester Community and Technical College

Rochester, MN 118.6 miles away BOC Score 50.7
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 27.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 45
  • Annual completions: 653
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $55,258 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Des Moines Area Community College

Ankeny, IA 51.9 miles away BOC Score 50.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 79
  • Annual completions: 6334
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $51,817 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Carpenter Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile - Carpenters
Carpenters annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $40410, P25 $48510, P50 $60580, P75 $76830, P90 $99910.10th$40,41025th$48,51050th (median)$60,58075th$76,83090th$99,910
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Carpenters annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$40,410
25th$48,510
50th (median)$60,580
75th$76,830
90th$99,910
Projected employment growth, Carpenters, 2024-2034
Carpenters employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 959000; 2034 projected employment 1.0021e+06; percent change +4.5%.2024959,000 jobs2034 (proj.)1,002,100 jobsChange: +4.5%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Carpenters employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024959,000
2034 projected1,002,100
Percent change+4.5%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does carpenter training take in Iowa?

Carpenter certificate programs in Iowa typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Many carpenters also enter the field through a registered apprenticeship, which combines paid on-the-job training with related classroom instruction and usually takes 3 to 5 years to complete. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do carpenters earn in Iowa?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), carpenters in Iowa earned a median annual wage of approximately $57,710. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $39,040 to $76,540 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many carpenter schools are in Iowa?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)