An England under-19 and under-20 international, Carter began his career with Birmingham City, and came to prominence at the age of 18 when his penalty in the 2002 play-off final clinched the club's promotion to the Premier League.

[5] He made his first-team debut for Birmingham City in the First Division at the age of 18 in a 1–0 defeat to local rivals West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on 29 January 2002.

[6] He scored his first goal in senior football on 10 April, helping the Blues to secure a play-off spot with a 3–1 victory over Crewe Alexandra at St Andrew's.

[9] In March 2004 he was scheduled to go out on loan to Rotherham United before injuries and suspensions at Birmingham persuaded manager Steve Bruce to put an end to the deal.

[13] This gave his Birmingham career the boost it needed, and he was seen as a vital member of the squad until his July 2005 transfer to West Bromwich Albion for £1.5 million.

[18] He made 33 appearances in the Championship in the 2006–07 season, and was used as a substitute in the play-off final defeat to Derby County at Wembley Stadium, replacing Zoltán Gera on 71 minutes.

[17][20] Carter made his Preston debut in a 0–0 draw with Norwich City at Deepdale two days later,[21] and his performance earned him a place in the Championship Team of the Week.

[33] After Preston were relegated to League One and Carter's contract expired at the end of the 2010–11 season, he trained with the club during July, but no terms were agreed on a new deal.

While playing for Nottingham Forest reserves in November as part of another trial, Carter tore a groin muscle, requiring surgery and a three-month recovery period.

[45] In his competitive debut for Northampton, at York City in the opening match of the campaign, he was sent off for a second bookable offence with 18 minutes to play, and his team lost 1–0 thanks to a last-minute goal.

[47] On 22 September 2015, Carter signed for National League leaders Forest Green Rovers on a free transfer for the remainder of the season.

[49] He continued in the starting eleven, and on his fourth appearance, his shot from the edge of the penalty area opened the scoring in the 3–0 win away to Aldershot Town.

[59][60] He remained a regular in the team, playing in 44 of the 46 league matches as Moors finished second, three points behind Leyton Orient, and lost to AFC Fylde in the play-off semi-final.

[59][61] His consistency of performance earned him a place in the National League Team of the Season alongside Moors team-mate Jamey Osborne.

[66] Speaking in July 2005, Bryan Robson stated that Carter "has very good stamina and is very much a box-to-box player who can play in the centre of midfield or wide on the left.

[67][68] After being unable to avoid relegation to the FA Women's Championship, his role as head coach became permanent on 30 May 2022 after a two-year deal was signed.