Drywall installer salary: what drywall installers actually make
Drywall installers earned a median $28.33 an hour ($58,930 a year) in May 2025, across 83,080 jobs in the BLS employer survey. Pay by state and metro, the 20-year trend, and the union scale contractors must pay on federal work.
How much do drywall installers make?
The median drywall installer earned $28.33 an hour, or $58,930 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 83,080 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $22.81 and $35.69 an hour.
The middle half of drywall installers earn between $22.81 and $35.69 an hour. The top 10% earn more than $49.04 ($102,010 a year); the bottom 10% earn less than $18.49. The top 10% earn 2.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
Apprentice, journeyman and master drywall installer pay
Pay tracks licence and experience: an apprentice or entry-level drywall installer earns near the bottom of the range, a journeyman around the median, and a master drywall installer, foreman or specialist in the top quarter. The union pay scale (journeyman base plus fringe) for every county is in the prevailing-wage section.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.49 – $22.81 | $38,460 – $47,440 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.81 – $35.69 | $47,440 – $74,230 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $35.69 – $49.04 | $74,230 – $102,010 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Career-stage bands are an approximate reading of the wage distribution, not a BLS classification or licence requirement.
Drywall installer pay by state
Table
| State | Median $/hr | vs US |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $50.40 | 78% above |
| New Jersey | $36.09 | 27% above |
| Alaska | $35.43 | 25% above |
| Oregon | $35.35 | 25% above |
| Washington | $35.16 | 24% above |
| Massachusetts | $33.42 | 18% above |
| California | $31.67 | 12% above |
| Illinois | $30.38 | 7% above |
| Missouri | $30.09 | 6% above |
| New Hampshire | $29.79 | 5% above |
| Colorado | $29.70 | 5% above |
| Ohio | $29.53 | 4% above |
| Minnesota | $29.46 | 4% above |
| New York | $29.46 | 4% above |
| Pennsylvania | $29.40 | 4% above |
| Connecticut | $29.08 | 3% above |
| Montana | $28.92 | 2% above |
| Maine | $28.89 | 2% above |
| Wisconsin | $28.83 | 2% above |
| Vermont | $28.76 | 2% above |
| Michigan | $28.10 | 1% below |
| Georgia | $28.01 | 1% below |
| Virginia | $26.84 | 5% below |
| Maryland | $26.29 | 7% below |
| New Mexico | $25.91 | 9% below |
| Nevada | $25.13 | 11% below |
| Iowa | $24.53 | 13% below |
| Utah | $24.53 | 13% below |
| Arizona | $24.18 | 15% below |
| Delaware | $24.12 | 15% below |
| Indiana | $23.95 | 15% below |
| Florida | $23.54 | 17% below |
| South Dakota | $23.49 | 17% below |
| Nebraska | $23.38 | 17% below |
| Kentucky | $23.24 | 18% below |
| Alabama | $23.08 | 19% below |
| Texas | $22.88 | 19% below |
| Tennessee | $22.84 | 19% below |
| Louisiana | $22.80 | 20% below |
| Rhode Island | $22.65 | 20% below |
| Oklahoma | $22.15 | 22% below |
| South Carolina | $21.80 | 23% below |
| North Dakota | $21.69 | 23% below |
| North Carolina | $21.67 | 24% below |
| Arkansas | $21.42 | 24% below |
| Wyoming | $21.15 | 25% below |
| Idaho | $21.05 | 26% below |
| Kansas | $19.18 | 32% below |
| Mississippi | $17.94 | 37% below |
| State | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | Adjusted rank | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $50.40 | $45.82 | #1 | 800 |
| New Jersey | $36.09 | $33.17 | #4 | 1,340 |
| Alaska | $35.43 | $34.60 | #2 | 100 |
| Oregon | $35.35 | $34.19 | #3 | 1,680 |
| Washington | $35.16 | $32.86 | #6 | 2,670 |
| Massachusetts | $33.42 | $31.59 | #8 | 590 |
| California | $31.67 | $28.61 | #19 | 27,280 |
| Illinois | $30.38 | $30.38 | #11 | 740 |
| Missouri | $30.09 | $33.14 | #5 | 550 |
| New Hampshire | $29.79 | $28.59 | #20 | 370 |
| Colorado | $29.70 | $28.81 | #18 | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $29.53 | $31.82 | #7 | 1,680 |
| Minnesota | $29.46 | $29.88 | #13 | 1,050 |
| New York | $29.46 | $27.30 | #24 | 2,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $29.40 | $30.12 | #12 | 1,690 |
| Connecticut | $29.08 | $28.07 | #22 | 300 |
| Montana | $28.92 | $30.57 | #10 | 170 |
| Maine | $28.89 | $29.78 | #14 | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $28.83 | $30.64 | #9 | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $28.76 | $29.35 | #15 | 90 |
| Michigan | $28.10 | $29.21 | #16 | 1,050 |
| Georgia | $28.01 | $29.09 | #17 | 690 |
| Virginia | $26.84 | $26.55 | #25 | 2,480 |
| Maryland | $26.29 | $25.04 | #34 | 1,470 |
| New Mexico | $25.91 | $28.10 | #21 | 580 |
| Nevada | $25.13 | $25.13 | #33 | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $24.53 | $27.94 | #23 | 290 |
| Utah | $24.53 | $24.80 | #36 | 2,610 |
| Arizona | $24.18 | $24.01 | #40 | 2,590 |
| Delaware | $24.12 | $24.17 | #39 | 350 |
| Indiana | $23.95 | $25.67 | #31 | 680 |
| Florida | $23.54 | $22.77 | #45 | 6,000 |
| South Dakota | $23.49 | $26.51 | #26 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $23.38 | $25.95 | #28 | 770 |
| Kentucky | $23.24 | $25.76 | #30 | 490 |
| Alabama | $23.08 | $25.99 | #27 | 650 |
| Texas | $22.88 | $23.56 | #41 | 5,760 |
| Tennessee | $22.84 | $24.85 | #35 | 1,150 |
| Louisiana | $22.80 | $25.85 | #29 | 310 |
| Rhode Island | $22.65 | $22.14 | #46 | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $22.15 | $25.23 | #32 | 280 |
| South Carolina | $21.80 | $23.27 | #42 | 340 |
| North Dakota | $21.69 | $24.37 | #38 | 130 |
| North Carolina | $21.67 | $22.98 | #43 | 1,520 |
| Arkansas | $21.42 | $24.65 | #37 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $21.15 | $22.82 | #44 | 140 |
| Idaho | $21.05 | $22.04 | #47 | 920 |
| Kansas | $19.18 | $21.29 | #48 | 650 |
| Mississippi | $17.94 | $20.62 | #49 | 110 |
Drywall installer wages over time
Table
| Year | Nominal $/hr | In 2025 $ | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $15.34 | $29.64 | 118,300 |
| 2000 | $15.80 | $29.54 | 118,280 |
| 2001 | $15.87 | $28.85 | 121,450 |
| 2002 | $16.21 | $29.01 | 111,600 |
| 2003 | $16.19 | $28.33 | 111,970 |
| 2004 | $16.36 | $27.88 | 113,350 |
| 2005 | $16.70 | $27.53 | 126,810 |
| 2006 | $17.38 | $27.75 | 140,630 |
| 2007 | $17.56 | $27.27 | 137,570 |
| 2008 | $18.12 | $27.09 | 128,740 |
| 2009 | $17.88 | $26.83 | 102,880 |
| 2010 | $17.94 | $26.49 | 82,320 |
| 2011 | $17.78 | $25.45 | 75,520 |
| 2012 | $17.89 | $25.09 | 75,810 |
| 2013 | $17.89 | $24.72 | 79,950 |
| 2014 | $18.32 | $24.91 | 85,020 |
| 2015 | $18.85 | $25.60 | 88,490 |
| 2016 | $19.75 | $26.49 | 93,180 |
| 2017 | $20.60 | $27.06 | 96,550 |
| 2018 | $21.03 | $26.96 | 101,900 |
| 2019 | $21.97 | $27.67 | 102,850 |
| 2020 | $22.82 | $28.39 | 99,700 |
| 2021 | $23.09 | $27.43 | 97,070 |
| 2022 | $24.25 | $26.68 | 91,590 |
| 2023 | $26.78 | $28.30 | 90,860 |
| 2024 | $27.95 | $28.69 | 82,900 |
| 2025 | $28.33 | $28.33 | 83,080 |
Adjusted for inflation, the median drywall installer wage changed by +10.6% over the last ten years and by +2.4% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs than there used to be?
The BLS employer survey counted 83,080 drywall installers in May 2025, -6.1% compared with 88,490 ten years earlier and -19.2% since 2019.
Table
| Year | Jobs |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 118,300 |
| 2000 | 118,280 |
| 2001 | 121,450 |
| 2002 | 111,600 |
| 2003 | 111,970 |
| 2004 | 113,350 |
| 2005 | 126,810 |
| 2006 | 140,630 |
| 2007 | 137,570 |
| 2008 | 128,740 |
| 2009 | 102,880 |
| 2010 | 82,320 |
| 2011 | 75,520 |
| 2012 | 75,810 |
| 2013 | 79,950 |
| 2014 | 85,020 |
| 2015 | 88,490 |
| 2016 | 93,180 |
| 2017 | 96,550 |
| 2018 | 101,900 |
| 2019 | 102,850 |
| 2020 | 99,700 |
| 2021 | 97,070 |
| 2022 | 91,590 |
| 2023 | 90,860 |
| 2024 | 82,900 |
| 2025 | 83,080 |
Of the 3 states with a precise enough estimate to compare, 2 counted more drywall installers in 2025 than ten years earlier. The fastest growth was in California (+28.5%, 21,230 to 27,280); the weakest was Texas (-37.4%).
| State | Jobs in 2015 | Jobs in 2025 | Change over 10 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 21,230 | 27,280 | +28.5% | -13.2% |
| Florida | 5,000 | 6,000 | +20.0% | -8.4% |
| Texas | 9,200 | 5,760 | -37.4% | -16.3% |
Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.
Where the drywall installer jobs are
Nevada has the highest concentration of drywall installers, 3.6× the national share, followed by Utah (2.8×) and California (2.8×). The lowest is Mississippi at 0.2×. Concentration says where the trade is a large part of the local economy; the job count says where the most positions are.
| State | Jobs | Jobs per 1,000 | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 2,980 | 1.9 | 3.6× |
| Utah | 2,610 | 1.5 | 2.8× |
| California | 27,280 | 1.5 | 2.8× |
| Hawaii | 800 | 1.3 | 2.4× |
| Idaho | 920 | 1.1 | 2.0× |
| Rhode Island | 440 | 0.9 | 1.7× |
| Oregon | 1,680 | 0.9 | 1.6× |
| Arizona | 2,590 | 0.8 | 1.5× |
| South Dakota | 360 | 0.8 | 1.5× |
| Nebraska | 770 | 0.8 | 1.4× |
| Washington | 2,670 | 0.8 | 1.4× |
| Delaware | 350 | 0.7 | 1.3× |
| New Mexico | 580 | 0.7 | 1.2× |
| Florida | 6,000 | 0.6 | 1.1× |
| Virginia | 2,480 | 0.6 | 1.1× |
| New Hampshire | 370 | 0.5 | 1.0× |
| Colorado | 1,560 | 0.5 | 1.0× |
| Maryland | 1,470 | 0.5 | 1.0× |
| Wyoming | 140 | 0.5 | 0.9× |
| Kansas | 650 | 0.5 | 0.8× |
| Texas | 5,760 | 0.4 | 0.8× |
| Wisconsin | 1,140 | 0.4 | 0.7× |
| Minnesota | 1,050 | 0.3 | 0.7× |
| Tennessee | 1,150 | 0.3 | 0.7× |
| Montana | 170 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| Alabama | 650 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| New Jersey | 1,340 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| North Carolina | 1,520 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| Ohio | 1,680 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| Alaska | 100 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| New York | 2,840 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| North Dakota | 130 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| Vermont | 90 | 0.3 | 0.6× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,690 | 0.3 | 0.5× |
| Kentucky | 490 | 0.2 | 0.5× |
| Michigan | 1,050 | 0.2 | 0.5× |
| Maine | 150 | 0.2 | 0.4× |
| Indiana | 680 | 0.2 | 0.4× |
| Iowa | 290 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Missouri | 550 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Arkansas | 240 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Connecticut | 300 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Massachusetts | 590 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Oklahoma | 280 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| Louisiana | 310 | 0.2 | 0.3× |
| South Carolina | 340 | 0.1 | 0.3× |
| Georgia | 690 | 0.1 | 0.3× |
| Illinois | 740 | 0.1 | 0.2× |
| Mississippi | 110 | 0.1 | 0.2× |
Metros with the most drywall installer jobs
| Metro | Jobs | Median $/hr |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,710 | $30.19 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 3,640 | $29.53 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,220 | $36.68 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,560 | $34.29 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,510 | $39.50 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 2,500 | $30.55 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,340 | $25.13 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 2,210 | $28.40 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,960 | $38.19 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,930 | $25.13 |
Highest-paying metros for drywall installers
| Metro | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | Adjusted rank | 90th pct | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $50.92 | $45.87 | #1 | $57.53 | 710 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $39.74 | $36.86 | #3 | $61.53 | 700 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $39.50 | $34.17 | #5 | $64.84 | 2,510 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $38.99 | $36.99 | #2 | $57.33 | 1,100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $38.19 | $34.59 | #4 | $64.80 | 1,960 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $36.68 | $32.78 | #7 | $54.86 | 3,220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $36.33 | $32.70 | #8 | $61.53 | 1,840 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $34.29 | $30.45 | #10 | $56.95 | 2,560 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $33.23 | $32.08 | #9 | $53.24 | 540 |
| Columbus, OH | $31.47 | $32.95 | #6 | $35.77 | 570 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $30.89 | $29.20 | #13 | $38.20 | 1,110 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $30.81 | $29.40 | #11 | $44.00 | 680 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $30.65 | $27.74 | #17 | $51.02 | 650 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $30.55 | $28.63 | #15 | $54.79 | 2,500 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $30.19 | $26.58 | #19 | $57.88 | 7,710 |
Metros with at least 500 drywall installers. Cost-of-living adjustment divides the median by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100); the adjusted rank is among the 35 metros with a parity.
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers
Federal construction projects must pay the Davis-Bacon rate for each county. Where the rate comes from a union contract it is the local journeyman scale: base wage plus fringe (health, pension, training). Where it comes from a survey, it is often older and lower. This table summarises the Building-construction determination for drywall installers in every state.
| State | Counties with a union rate | Typical union package (base + fringe, $/hr) | Typical survey rate | Counties with a rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 90% | $90.92 | $26.48 | 58/58 |
| Hawaii | 100% | $85.56 | — | 5/5 |
| New Jersey | 100% | $75.02 | — | 21/21 |
| Indiana | 97% | $73.06 | $19.13 | 66/92 |
| Washington | 64% | $71.30 | $29.90 | 28/39 |
| Alaska | 100% | $68.74 | — | 30/30 |
| Oregon | 100% | $67.55 | — | 27/36 |
| Connecticut | 100% | $67.07 | — | 7/8 |
| Rhode Island | 100% | $64.62 | — | 5/5 |
| Kentucky | 92% | $63.61 | $35.91 | 77/120 |
| New York | 84% | $60.60 | $44.39 | 49/62 |
| Ohio | 16% | $56.15 | $25.57 | 69/88 |
| Pennsylvania | 81% | $55.65 | $37.73 | 52/67 |
| South Dakota | 60% | $53.49 | $16.68 | 42/66 |
| Missouri | 100% | $52.11 | — | 29/115 |
| Nebraska | 20% | $52.08 | $17.11 | 25/93 |
| Iowa | 45% | $50.87 | $19.45 | 51/99 |
| West Virginia | 49% | $49.21 | $37.66 | 49/55 |
| Illinois | 100% | $47.63 | — | 41/102 |
| Michigan | 66% | $47.43 | $19.66 | 53/83 |
| Montana | 23% | $47.07 | $22.69 | 44/56 |
| New Mexico | 4% | $45.29 | $22.72 | 28/33 |
| Kansas | 3% | $42.42 | $20.01 | 88/105 |
| Virginia | 84% | $41.02 | $33.39 | 19/133 |
| North Carolina | 10% | $40.20 | $19.44 | 73/100 |
| Colorado | 14% | $39.67 | $16.63 | 59/64 |
| Wisconsin | 100% | $36.76 | — | 4/72 |
| Utah | 22% | $34.78 | $21.44 | 27/29 |
| Arizona | 58% | $34.54 | $22.47 | 12/15 |
| Arkansas | 0% | — | $16.19 | 20/75 |
| Georgia | 0% | — | $12.00 | 18/159 |
| Idaho | 0% | — | $23.77 | 7/44 |
| Louisiana | 0% | — | $22.68 | 13/64 |
| Maryland | 0% | — | $41.17 | 21/24 |
| Maine | 0% | — | $19.71 | 7/16 |
| Minnesota | 0% | — | $61.43 | 87/87 |
| North Dakota | 0% | — | $24.75 | 2/53 |
| New Hampshire | 0% | — | $25.00 | 3/10 |
| Nevada | 0% | — | $67.36 | 17/17 |
| Oklahoma | 0% | — | $14.16 | 51/77 |
| South Carolina | 0% | — | $17.82 | 21/46 |
| Tennessee | 0% | — | $18.32 | 14/95 |
| Texas | 0% | — | $14.89 | 97/254 |
| Vermont | 0% | — | $28.94 | 14/14 |
| Wyoming | 0% | — | $50.53 | 23/23 |
Source: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions, Building construction type. Not the official determination; see each state page for county detail and links to the official text.
Job outlook
The BLS Employment Projections program expects the number of drywall installers to change by +2.5% over 2025-35, from 102,200 to 104,700, with about 6,600 openings a year.
Of those openings, 300 a year come from growth in the number of jobs and 6,300 from replacement: 2,300 for people who retire or leave the workforce and 4,000 for people who move to another occupation.
BLS worker characteristics, 2025-35: typical education for entry: no formal educational credential; related work experience: none; on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training. The Occupational Outlook Handbook entry describes the work.
What each state projects
State labor market agencies publish their own projections on a 2024–2034 cycle. Idaho projects the fastest growth for drywall installers at +22.5%; by openings, California (2,590 a year), Texas (580 a year), Florida (520 a year) lead. 48 states publish a figure for this occupation.
| State | Jobs, 2024 | Projected, 2034 | Change | Openings per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 2,040 | 2,500 | +22.5% | 200 |
| Colorado | 2,000 | 2,440 | +22.2% | 200 |
| Wyoming | 200 | 250 | +21.1% | 20 |
| Arizona | 3,970 | 4,780 | +20.3% | 380 |
| Montana | 190 | 220 | +15.4% | 20 |
| Delaware | 440 | 500 | +12.7% | 40 |
| Florida | 6,110 | 6,820 | +11.8% | 520 |
| Connecticut | 420 | 470 | +11.6% | 40 |
| Oregon | 2,070 | 2,300 | +11.3% | 170 |
| Mississippi | 210 | 230 | +10.6% | 20 |
| Tennessee | 1,340 | 1,480 | +10.4% | 110 |
| South Dakota | 490 | 540 | +9.8% | 40 |
| Nebraska | 880 | 970 | +9.7% | 70 |
| Nevada | 3,430 | 3,760 | +9.5% | 280 |
| Arkansas | 360 | 380 | +7.9% | 30 |
| Georgia | 1,110 | 1,200 | +7.5% | 90 |
| Alabama | 830 | 890 | +7.3% | 70 |
| New Mexico | 600 | 640 | +6.3% | 50 |
| Virginia | 2,300 | 2,450 | +6.3% | 170 |
| Iowa | 660 | 700 | +5.9% | 50 |
| Maryland | 1,820 | 1,930 | +5.9% | 140 |
| Massachusetts | 1,080 | 1,140 | +5.9% | 80 |
| Wisconsin | 1,740 | 1,840 | +5.9% | 130 |
| Indiana | 980 | 1,030 | +5.4% | 80 |
| Texas | 7,500 | 7,910 | +5.4% | 580 |
| Hawaii | 1,050 | 1,100 | +5.2% | 80 |
| North Carolina | 2,340 | 2,460 | +5.2% | 180 |
| Kentucky | 590 | 620 | +5.1% | 40 |
| California | 34,000 | 35,700 | +5.0% | 2,590 |
| New Hampshire | 460 | 480 | +4.8% | 40 |
| Kansas | 790 | 830 | +4.7% | 60 |
| Utah | 2,260 | 2,360 | +4.7% | 170 |
| Minnesota | 800 | 830 | +4.6% | 60 |
| Vermont | 150 | 160 | +4.6% | 10 |
| North Dakota | 70 | 70 | +4.5% | 0 |
| South Carolina | 830 | 870 | +4.5% | 60 |
| Illinois | 870 | 910 | +4.4% | 60 |
| Louisiana | 520 | 550 | +4.4% | 40 |
| New Jersey | 810 | 850 | +4.4% | 60 |
| Missouri | 780 | 820 | +4.2% | 60 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,950 | 2,040 | +4.2% | 150 |
| Oklahoma | 250 | 260 | +3.6% | 20 |
| Michigan | 1,430 | 1,480 | +3.4% | 100 |
| Ohio | 1,530 | 1,560 | +2.5% | 110 |
| Maine | 420 | 420 | +1.4% | 30 |
| Alaska | 90 | 90 | 0.0% | 10 |
| New York | 4,050 | 4,020 | -0.8% | 280 |
| Washington | 5,980 | 5,750 | -3.9% | 350 |
Source: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central, 2024–2034 projections. State base counts include the self-employed, so they run higher than the BLS survey count above.
Compare drywall installer pay with other trades
See how drywall installer pay compares with other trades on the ranking of all trades and the comparison pages.
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make an hour?
Hourly pay runs from about $18.49 at the 10th percentile to $49.04 at the 90th, with a median of $28.33. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.
What does a starting or apprentice drywall installer make?
Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $18.49 to $22.81 an hour ($38,460 to $47,440 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.
Which state pays drywall installers the most?
Hawaii had the highest median at $50.40 an hour in May 2025, followed by New Jersey ($36.09) and Alaska ($35.43). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.
Are drywall installer wages going up?
In today's dollars the median drywall installer wage changed by +10.6% over the last ten years of data (CPI-adjusted). The nominal median rose from $18.85 to $28.33.
Is drywall installer a good career?
By the numbers: median pay of $58,930 a year, a 90th percentile of $102,010, projected growth of +2.5% and about 6,600 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.
Are drywall installer jobs growing?
The BLS employer survey counted 83,080 drywall installers in May 2025, -6.1% compared with ten years earlier and -19.2% since 2019. Looking ahead, BLS projects +2.5% growth over 2025-35 with about 6,600 openings a year, most of them replacing people who leave the occupation.
Which states will need the most drywall installers?
By projected annual openings, the state agencies' figures put California (2,590 a year, +5.0% growth), Texas (580 a year, +5.4% growth), Florida (520 a year, +11.8% growth) at the top. Every state's projection is in the outlook table above.
Where are drywall installers most concentrated?
Relative to the size of each state's workforce, Nevada has the highest concentration at 3.6× the national share, then Utah (2.8×) and California (2.8×). The largest absolute job counts are usually in the most populous states; see the map above.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2081 (Drywall and ceiling tile installers). Wages exclude overtime and benefits; job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
- Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024.
- Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35 (Tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12). Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.
- State projections: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central (Projections Managing Partnership), 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05. State figures include the self-employed.