Power

You kinda sorta don't really have a whole lot. Maybe you become a sought-after Master Carpenter and General Contractors wait for you to come available so that you can hammer in their nails. When you think about it, though, pretty much anyone can hammer a nail, so that's not much.

In this biz, your level of power depends on your reputation. A good one will make folks want to hire you, and pay you handsomely. A bad one will make them promise to call you but then not call you, ever.

You have the power to turn away jobs once you get a good rep. The "best" carpenters don't make "the best" kind of money the way quarterbacks do—that is, a "best" makes $20 million a year; a mere starter makes $2 million—10 to 1 spread.

A "best" carpenter may make 20% more than an average one—but the big difference is that a "best" carpenter is always in demand, can always work whenever he wants, and has a line around the block asking for work.