Carpenters vs Police
Police earns $17,960 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| Carpenters | Police | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2024 | $59,310 | $77,270 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $38,760 to $98,370 | $48,230 to $120,460 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 0 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma to college degree |
| Jobs opening up each year | 74,100 | 62,200 |
| Growth by 2034 | 4% | 3% |
| People doing it now | 959,000 | 826,800 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $85,970 in Hawaii down to $46,160 in Mississippi | $115,400 in California down to $45,610 in Mississippi |
Also compared: Carpenters vs Electricians Carpenters vs Heavy Electricians vs Police Heavy vs Police
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
Police covers 7 separate job codes. “6 of 7” means 6 of those 7 name that job as closely related.
Carpenters
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
- Structural Iron and Steel Workers
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters
- Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
Police
- Private Detectives and Investigators6 of 7
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives5 of 7
- Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts3 of 7
- Forensic Science Technicians3 of 7
- Compliance Officers3 of 7
- Coroners2 of 7
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2024, and employment projections 2024-34. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.