Carlson apprenticed at Chicago's Lyric Opera then became Stage Left Assistant Carpenter and Union Steward before leaving to study Sound Reinforcement at Columbia College. He crewed in the audio department of the Allstate Arena and Ravinia Festival and became Ravinia Festival Master Carpenter, Technical Director, and Steward.

In 2000, Freeman Companies called on Carlson to be Technical Director of their largest annual event, The National Association of Homebuilders Show Opening Ceremonies, which featured President George H. Bush, Ted Koppel, Terry Bradshaw, Steve Wynn, and Colin Powell as keynote speakers.

Members voted Carlson onto Local 2's Executive Board by the biggest vote, to that date, in Local 2 history. Members elected Carlson to Business Manager in 2005 and re-elected him, by acclamation, in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023, and 2026.

Carlson became an IATSE Vice President in 2008 and was re-elected by acclamation in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025. Since 2009, he's chaired the IATSE's 9th District, which covers every IATSE Local within Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, and Missouri. He's a member of the IATSE-PAC Committee and he's often served as President or Vice-President of the Chicago Entertainment Industry Labor Council since 2007.

Carlson was elected Illinois AFL-CIO Vice-President in 2013 and was re-elected by acclamation in 2016, 2020, and 2024; He sits on Chicago's Amalgamated Bank Labor Advisory Board, is Technical Advisor to Ravinia Festival, is Local 2's Benefit Plan Trustee Chair, The 216 S. Jefferson Street Building Association President, and he helps raise money for Operation Warm and other charitable organizations.

In 2008, Carlson spearheaded the purchase of Local 2's first ever office and in 2023 he procured a $5M Illinois Grant to create an IATSE Local 2 training center and administrative office that opened in 2025; he began a Journeyman / Apprentice Training Fund (JATF) in 2007, organized the Joffrey Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, Shakespeare Theater, James Lumber Performing Arts Center, UIC Pavilion Techs, Rosalind Franklin College, and the Aragon Ballroom. He also negotiated first ever Agreements for work at NOW Arena, The Salt Shed, Lollapalooza, NASCAR in Chicago, Riot Fest, Radius, Ramova Theatre, Spring Awakening, North Coast Fest, Heat Wave, Arc Fest, Summer Smash, Huntington Pavilion, Toyota Park, Soldier Field, Wrigley Field, Rate Field, Union Park, Wintrust Arena, RiverEdge Park, Credit Union 1 Arena, and more.

Under Carlson's leadership, Local 2 has referred stagehands to more than $1.2B in wages and has collected over $500M in employer benefit contributions, which is more than all previous Local 2 administrations combined. And Carlson initiated an extensive training program throughout the Midwest that gained Local 2 more ETCP certifications than any organization in the world.

Carlson, in his role as International Vice President, organized Bloomington's Center for the Performing Arts, Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum, Alpine Valley Music Festival, and Riverside Theatre while negotiating various venue agreements in Kentucky, Iowa, West Virginia, Maryland, and more.