A per diem position is one in which you are paid per day (per diem is Latin for “per day”). As a per diem carpenter, you have the same duties and responsibilities as any other carpenter; the difference is only in your relationship to your employer. Rather than a full-time position with benefits, your pay is calculated on a per-day basis and your hours are determined by the needs of your employer and your own availability. The actual work of carpentry varies widely, but most usually involves projects related to the construction of houses or commercial structures. Within that, you may specialize more on rough framing, that is, installing the wood frames and joints of a building that will later be covered, or you may specialize in finish work, repairing, designing, or creating the finished spaces in which people will live or businesses may operate.