• Community Outreach

KWCH Building You
Building You: Construction industry needs more carpenters

Author: Lily Wu, KWCH Anchor/Reporter

 

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The construction industry in Wichita is hiring for more carpenters.

 

“Carpenters are very important,” said Mike McBee, supervisor at McCownGordon Construction. “Not all jobs are about glory, but this can be a glorious job. You get a ton of pride out of doing what you do.”

 

Starting pay for carpenters is approximately $15 per hour. McBee said a carpenter foreman with experience can make between $20 and $30 per hour.

 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a carpenter is $49,520 per year.

 

“If you like working with your hands and getting dirty, you can come here and get paid for it. It’s not a low paying job. There’s lots of money in it for the people that want to stay in it,” said McBee.

 

Mitch Jensen wants to continue working in the construction industry and one day become a superintendent.

 

He started working in construction eight years ago and is now a full-time carpenter for McCownGordon.

 

“I do love this job. Just walking away at the end of the day and seeing what you’ve built, that’s the most gratifying thing for me,” said Jensen.

McBee hires people who are willing to learn.

 

“They don’t have to have any kind of skills. they don’t have to start off as a carpenter. they can come into the trade as a laborer, pushing a broom and we’ll put them with a carpenter to help learn,” said McBee.

 

A carpenter position was featured on “Job of the Day.”

 

To learn about career opportunities at McCownGordonclick here.

 

Copyright 2021 KWCH. All rights reserved.