Both means making something, but there's definitely differences that sets them apart in a lot of ways. I am talking about carpentry and woodworking.

Two really alike looking activities that people who hardly have a clue on this specific industry or even those who are noobs, confuse as almost the same thing. However, that's not necessarily the case.

So, What Is The Difference Between Carpentry And Woodworking? Let's find out about the line that set both of these apart from each other.

Difference Between Carpentry and Woodworking

Difference Between Carpentry And Woodworking:

In carpentry, workers add parts of the home like inserting a door. In contrast, in woodworking, workers make things using wood like a wardrobe or furniture.

The traits of both trades are pretty diverse if you look into the responsibilities and working style. FYI, these jobs require at least High School Diploma to be hired in the US. Here's a quick sneak peek of their differential points which a job seeker would love to know.

Differences  Carpentry Woodworking
Average Salary (per year)  $40,000 – $49,000 $30,000 – $55,000
Duty Style Installing wood items Making wood stuff (door)
Working Zone Commercial or home site Big Industry or factory
Required Tools Nail guns, sander, chisels, and other hand usable gears Computerized machinery, saws, sander, drill pressures, and so on

Before exploring their dissimilarities in detail, you should know about a basic definition of each and their working variations.   

What Is Carpentry?

It is a job where one gets a specific duty to construct, repair, or sometimes change home structures by adding wood items. This kind of work requires professional skills to ensure quality installment.

And, carpentry has 5 main roles for individual workers to perform. Which are,

  • Rough carpenters: Mostly serve for structural changes such as adding roofs or frames.
  • Jousters: Work to joust or joint floors in a fixed state.
  • Trim carpenters: Just like the name, they work to fill the mold or trim to improve home beauty.
  • Ship carpenters: They inserts new items in boat and ship using wood.
  • Roofers: These kinds of carpenters usually work on lightings, joists, and similar-like jobs.

What Is Woodworking?

Woodworking is an art focused job. A woodworker has to make items using wood in different shapes to be used on carpentry and other sort of needs.

Nearly all workers use lumber and synthetic wood to craft new things. This kind of work has 6 roles to be played by a woodworker. Which are:

  • Carvers: They build decor stuff that needs details and geometrical shapes like marquetry arts.
  • Luthiers: In most cases, they make instruments using wood such as guitar.
  • Framers: This type of woodworker does make frames on roofs, floors, or any structures.
  • Furniture makers: One of the most common kinds of woodworkers who craft cabinets, chairs, tables, and other wood furniture.
  • Whittlers: They give an effort to create new designs in a small piece of wood.
  • Turners: Wood crafts that sell at flea market is mostly done by turners. They also craft on small wood houses, cups, bowls, statues, and so on.

Breaking Down All Comparison Points – Carpentry Vs Woodworking!

After learning on the basics, get ready for discovering why carpentry and woodworking are not the same. Let's drive into the topic!

Income Statistic of Carpentry & Woodworking

To make money with woodworking or carpentry one need to have skills and time management qualities. Based on your working ability and expertise, you can get excellent revenue in both professions.

In statistics, doing carpentry work might let you have around $40k to $49k each year in the US. And if you got good skills, the salary will rise. However, you might need to work long hours for each task based on difficulty level.  

Then again, the woodworking job ensures $9 to $17 per hour in the US. That means you can easily get around $30k to $55k each year based on your skill.  

Distinction Between Their Duty Style

One of the biggest differential aspects of these two trades is their style of working. Some might not catch the point which poles them apart unless seeing the duties.

Carpentry is a piece of work that requires attaching wood fixtures (made through woodworking). This work only needs repair or installation tasks.

Quite dissimilar in purpose, woodworking is a job where one has to create new items using wood that can be used on home, office, or any place. This work involves the creation of making stuff.

To sum it up, making a cupboard is woodworking, and integrating it on your house structure needs carpentry work.

Carpentry & Woodworking Place of Work 

The next factor that is considered as an opposing trait of these 2 professions is the working zone. You as a worker will never be able to do carpentry or woodworking at the same place.

Starting with carpentry, it is suitable for a residential like workshop or commercial place where workers have the freedom to work at any hour. This kind of job can be in indoor or outdoor places.

On the other hand, woodworking is decent for factories and large manufacturing zones to work well. Workers have to confirm the quality of items that are made which can't be done in outdoor places.

In a nutshell, carpentry suits both indoor and outdoor areas while woodworking is ideal for indoor zones.  

Variation On Both Required Gears

If you ask 'what is the lifeblood of any carpenter or woodworker?', the answer would be tools. Without the right gears, you would never excel any of these professions the right way. And in this base, they require different tools.  

To put it simply, the carpentry job needs most of the gears which one would hand use to install or attach new wood items. Here are some mentions of carpentry tools:

  • Sand block & sandpaper. 
  • Nailers. 
  • Welders.
  • Circular saws.
  • Chisels.
  • Levelers.
  • Nails. 
  • Nuts & bolts.
  • Epoxy resin.
  • Squares.

On the other hand, woodworking needs precision tools like computerized machines to ensure sharp and crisp crafts. Take a look at the following tools that are needed for this job:

  • Woodworking machine. 
  • Mill CNCs (Computer Number Control) machine.
  • Saws. 
  • Roller mill machines. 
  • Shapers. 
  • Electrical sander. 
  • Drill presses. 
  • Shapers. 
  • Fastening machines for wood.
  • Planers.

In short, carpentry work might require hand compatible tools while woodworking necessitates expertise gears. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is woodworking a good career?

For anyone who has a great skill to work on wood and also ample understanding of this material, they are supposed to love woodworking as a career. However, you have to work smoothly and put good details to make the crafting done with no faults.

2. Is carpentry a good career?

The carpentry work does require expertise in order to get a good salary otherwise unskilled people can try this profession too. And, it ensures a decent outcome if you have talent.

Wrapping Up

And on that note, I'd like to stop here. Hopefully you not know what is the difference between carpentry and woodworking with a clear perspective on this whole matter.

Keeping up with these basics are necessary for a bunch of reasons. Let's just know its important. And hopefully today's segments were helpful for you to understand the whole concept better.

I'll catch you in the next piece hopefully soon, till then take care!