Best Carpenter Schools in Kentucky (2026)

Quick answer: Carpenters in Kentucky earn a median of $52,680 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited carpenter schools in Kentucky with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

If you want to train as a carpenter in Kentucky, start by weighing program length, schedule, and cost at nearby schools. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $52,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Kentucky Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$52,680BLS OEWS, May 2025
Kentucky pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$36,760 to $72,960BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying Kentucky metro for this fieldLouisville/Jefferson County, KY, $56,520BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2025 to 2035)+3.9% growth, about 62,800 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
Federal prevailing wage in Kentucky (Davis-Bacon)$29.39 per hour totalDOL WHD Davis-Bacon, 2026
State employment8,540 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
Kentucky location quotient0.99BLS 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 Kentucky figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 189 miles, ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

West Kentucky Community and Technical College

Paducah, KY 188.8 miles away BOC Score 56.9
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 49.8%
  • Programs offered: 32
  • Annual completions: 1662
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,110 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Owensboro Community and Technical College

Owensboro, KY 95.9 miles away BOC Score 55.4
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 53.7%
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 2091
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $44,854 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

Maysville Community and Technical College

Maysville, KY 102.7 miles away BOC Score 52.5
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 56.5%
  • Programs offered: 24
  • Annual completions: 1604
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,970 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Lexington, KY 49.0 miles away BOC Score 51.0
Tuition $4,808 in-state / $6,512 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 43.1%
  • Programs offered: 35
  • Annual completions: 3235
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $48,181 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Hopkinsville Community College

Hopkinsville, KY 133.0 miles away BOC Score 50.6
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 45.1%
  • Programs offered: 21
  • Annual completions: 768
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $46,788 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Jefferson Community and Technical College

Louisville, KY 41.6 miles away BOC Score 49.7
Tuition $4,808 in-state / $6,512 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 35.5%
  • Programs offered: 31
  • Annual completions: 2331
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,106 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN 148.8 miles away BOC Score 49.2
Tuition $5,154 in-state / $9,935 out-of-state
Contact
  • 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway N. Drive Indianapolis, IN 46208-5752
  • (317) 921-4800
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 40.5%
  • Programs offered: 100
  • Annual completions: 15815
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $53,369 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Hazard Community and Technical College

Hazard, KY 123.1 miles away BOC Score 48.9
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 47.6%
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 1500
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $45,683 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Vincennes University

Vincennes, IN 135.6 miles away BOC Score 48.2
Tuition $7,126 in-state / $16,858 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 38.9%
  • Programs offered: 49
  • Annual completions: 970
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,333 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College

Cumberland, KY 138.9 miles away BOC Score 48.1
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 47.3%
  • Programs offered: 26
  • Annual completions: 931
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $42,469 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

Big Sandy Community and Technical College

Prestonsburg, KY 139.5 miles away BOC Score 47.3
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 37.7%
  • Programs offered: 23
  • Annual completions: 725
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $39,692 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Somerset Community College

Somerset, KY 61.2 miles away BOC Score 47.1
Tuition $4,728 in-state / $6,432 out-of-state
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 43.1%
  • Programs offered: 33
  • Annual completions: 2385
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,252 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Carpenter Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - 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, United States, Carpenters, 2025-2035
Carpenters employment 2025 vs 2035 projection, BLS Employment Projections2025 employment 889700; 2035 projected employment 924700; percent change +3.9%.2025889,700 jobs2035 (proj.)924,700 jobsChange: +3.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035
Carpenters employment projection 2025 to 2035
YearEmployment
2025889,700
2035 projected924,700
Percent change+3.9%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does carpenter training take in Kentucky?

Carpenter certificate programs in Kentucky 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 Kentucky?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), carpenters in Kentucky earned a median annual wage of approximately $52,680. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $36,760 to $72,960 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many carpenter schools are in Kentucky?

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 Statistics2025-2035
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)