A few other things that weren't mentioned in the article: As others in the comments have noted, there's no barrier to relatively unskilled people calling thems

A few other things that weren't mentioned in the article: As others in the comments have noted, there's no barrier to relatively unskilled people calling themselves 'carpenters', which drives down wages. This is much less of a factor with plumbing, electrical, HVAC etc. Like all tradespeople, you ultimately need to own 5 figures worth of specialized tools, which makes the low wages even more pernicious The construction industry is famously boom & bust/based on economic cycles, which obviously doesn't help anyone's job security 'Carpentry' is a very broad category (to my understanding on the West Coast they have a firmer delineation between frame & finish carpenters), but if you include framing and roofing, it's much more physical than plumbing or electrical work. Ultimately this is much tougher on your body over the decades