Start with the answer
Carpenters pay in Hawaii and Michigan
The May 2025 BLS OEWS median for Carpenters is $85,280 per year in Hawaii. It is $61,680 per year in Michigan. Hawaii is 38.3% above Michigan on the published median.
Both rows use SOC 47-2031 and the same annual wage metric. Median means the middle of each area's published wage spread. It is not one worker's pay. The larger median is not proof that one place gives a better job or a better result. It is one wage fact from one source period.
BLS lists 4,810 wage and salary jobs in Hawaii and 18,590 in Michigan. Those are survey job counts, not open posts. Read pay, job scale, local share, and price level as separate facts before you make a choice.
Evidence: bls-oews-may-2025 · Rule: same-soc-same-metric-pair · nominal-median-gap · employment-not-openings
