Drywall installer salary in Arkansas
Median $21.42 an hour for 240 drywall installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Drywall installer pay in Arkansas: the full range
Arkansas ranks 45th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 37th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.65). 240 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $16.60 – $17.82 | $34,520 – $37,070 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $17.82 – $22.65 | $37,070 – $47,100 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $22.65 – $23.46 | $47,100 – $48,800 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Arkansas
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville | $16.61 | $22.65 | $24.78 | $23.46 | 90 | 6% above |
| Memphis | $18.05 | $22.65 | $24.57 | $30.57 | 140 | 6% above |
| Little Rock | $16.60 | $21.43 | $23.97 | $23.20 | 60 | about the same as |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Arkansas over time
Table
| Year | Arkansas $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $12.05 | $23.29 | $15.34 | 1,100 |
| 2000 | $12.29 | $22.98 | $15.80 | 940 |
| 2001 | $12.28 | $22.32 | $15.87 | 670 |
| 2002 | $12.57 | $22.49 | $16.21 | 610 |
| 2003 | $12.54 | $21.94 | $16.19 | 550 |
| 2004 | $12.76 | $21.75 | $16.36 | 520 |
| 2005 | $13.88 | $22.88 | $16.70 | 510 |
| 2006 | $14.34 | $22.90 | $17.38 | 420 |
| 2007 | $14.07 | $21.85 | $17.56 | 490 |
| 2008 | $14.73 | $22.03 | $18.12 | 370 |
| 2009 | $13.43 | $20.15 | $17.88 | 340 |
| 2010 | $13.75 | $20.30 | $17.94 | 320 |
| 2011 | $15.15 | $21.68 | $17.78 | 510 |
| 2012 | $14.50 | $20.33 | $17.89 | 500 |
| 2013 | $14.11 | $19.50 | $17.89 | 460 |
| 2014 | $13.97 | $19.00 | $18.32 | 350 |
| 2015 | $14.01 | $19.03 | $18.85 | 480 |
| 2016 | $14.57 | $19.54 | $19.75 | 570 |
| 2017 | $17.07 | $22.42 | $20.60 | 410 |
| 2018 | $17.39 | $22.30 | $21.03 | 330 |
| 2019 | $17.28 | $21.76 | $21.97 | 380 |
| 2020 | $16.47 | $20.49 | $22.82 | 360 |
| 2021 | $17.68 | $21.01 | $23.09 | 380 |
| 2022 | $18.59 | $20.45 | $24.25 | 290 |
| 2023 | $19.63 | $20.74 | $26.78 | 340 |
| 2024 | $20.90 | $21.45 | $27.95 | 290 |
| 2025 | $21.42 | $21.42 | $28.33 | 240 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Arkansas changed by +12.6% over the last ten years of data and by -1.6% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Arkansas?
BLS counted 240 drywall installers in Arkansas in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 20%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for drywall installers in Arkansas
Arkansas's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +7.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 360 to 380, with about 30 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 240 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Arkansas labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Arkansas
On federally funded construction in Arkansas, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 20 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $16.19). 20 of the 20 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Calhoun County at $16.19). The market median for the state is $21.42.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Clark | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Columbia | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Dallas | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Hempstead | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Hot Spring | Survey SUAR2015-003 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260006 |
| Howard | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Lafayette | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Montgomery | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Nevada | Survey SUAR2015-006 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260009 |
| Ouachita | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Pike | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Sevier | Survey SUAR2015-017 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260020 |
| Union | Survey SUAR2015-010 2017-01-09 | $16.19 | $0.00 | $16.19 | AR20260013 |
| Faulkner | Survey SUAR2015-024 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260027 |
| Grant | Survey SUAR2015-034 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260037 |
| Lonoke | Survey SUAR2015-026 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260029 |
| Perry | Survey SUAR2015-034 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260037 |
| Pulaski | Survey SUAR2015-029 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260032 |
| Saline | Survey SUAR2015-030 2017-01-09 | $15.38 | $0.00 | $15.38 | AR20260033 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Arkansas prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Arkansas?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Arkansas
More on Arkansas
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Arkansas?
The median drywall installer in Arkansas earned $21.42 an hour ($44,550 a year) in May 2025, 24% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $17.82–$22.65; the top 10% earn more than $23.46.
Where does Arkansas rank for drywall installer pay?
Arkansas ranks 45th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $21.42 an hour, and 37th after adjusting for Arkansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 86.9, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Arkansas?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a drywall installer classification for most Arkansas counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many drywall installers work in Arkansas?
BLS counted 240 drywall installers in Arkansas in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.34; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Arkansas?
Arkansas's labor market agency projects +7.9% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 360 to 380 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Arkansas?
Arkansas projects about 30 openings a year for drywall installers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 6,600 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Arkansas and metro areas, SOC 47-2081. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Arkansas labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.