Since all of carpentry's required knowledge is gained through experience, the trade can be relatively easy to enter (this varies with the legal requirements from country to country). It is possible through dedication to have a prosperous career in carpentry.

The word "carpenter" is the English rendering of the Old French word carpentier (become charpentier) which is derived from the Latin carpentrius 1, "(maker) of a carriage. The Middle English word (in the sense of "builder") was wright (from the Old English wryhta), which could be used in compound forms such as wheelwright or boatwright.

In British and Australasian slang, a carpenter is sometimes referred to as a "chippie". The German word for carpenter is "Zimmermann" (room-maker, literally room-man), and hence is the source for the surname of many people in German and English-speaking countries.

Carpentry in the United States is almost always done by men. With 98.5% of carpenters being male, it was the fourth most male-dominated occupation in the country in 1999.

Types and occupations

A joister is a carpenter that puts in the floor joists. Floor joists are the horizontal boards connected to the frame of a structure at the level just below the floor. They give the floor strength for holding weight. Also, they give a position to which the floor may be fastened. Joisters also put on the joists for the decks of a building. Joisters need good balance to install the beams and joists on buildings, considering the elevation involved.

A finish carpenter (South America) or joiner (traditional name now obsolete in North America) is one who does finish carpentry; that is, cabinetry, furniture making, fine woodworking, model building, instrument making, parquetry, joinery, or other carpentry where exact joints and minimal margins of error are important. Some large-scale construction may be of an exactitude and artistry that it is classed as finish carpentry.

A trim carpenter specializes in molding and trim, such as door and window casings, mantels, baseboard, and other types of ornamental work. Cabinet installers are also referred to as trim carpenters.

A cabinetmaker is a carpenter who does fine and detailed work, specializing in the making of cabinets, wardrobes, dressers, storage chests, and other furniture designed for storage.

A ship's carpenter specializes in shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair techniques (see also shipwright) and carpentry specific to nautical needs; usually the term refers to a carpenter who has a post on a specific ship. Steel warships as well as wooden ones need ship's carpenters, especially for making emergency repairs in the case of battle or storm damage.