Skilled Wages

Drywall installer salary in California

Median $31.67 an hour for 27,280 drywall and ceiling tile installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$31.67/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$65,880/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.14 – $57.8110th to 90th percentilehourly range
27,280Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Drywall installer pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $22.14 · 25th $26.83 · median $31.67 · 75th $40.95 · 90th $57.81California$31.67$22.14$57.81United States: 10th $18.49 · 25th $22.81 · median $28.33 · 75th $35.69 · 90th $49.04United States$28.33
Hourly wage percentiles for drywall and ceiling tile installers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 7th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 19th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.61). 27,280 drywall and ceiling tile installers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$22.14 – $26.83$46,050 – $55,810roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$26.83 – $40.95$55,810 – $85,180the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$40.95 – $57.81$85,180 – $120,240the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Drywall installer pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrNapa: $40.58Napa$40.58Santa Rosa: $39.74Santa Rosa$39.74San Francisco: $39.50San Francisco$39.50San Jose: $38.19San Jose$38.19El Centro: $37.51El Centro$37.51San Diego: $36.68San Diego$36.68Santa Cruz: $35.93Santa Cruz$35.93Salinas: $35.41Salinas$35.41Stockton: $35.35Stockton$35.35San Luis Obispo: $32.24San Luis Obispo$32.24Modesto: $31.62Modesto$31.62Santa Maria: $30.95Santa Maria$30.95
Median hourly wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Napa$23.98$40.58$62.425028% above
Santa Rosa$27.88$39.74$61.5370025% above
San Francisco$27.89$39.50$64.842,51025% above
San Jose$28.94$38.19$64.801,96021% above
El Centro$18.15$37.51$37.899018% above
San Diego$23.27$36.68$54.863,22016% above
Santa Cruz$22.52$35.93$40.2112013% above
Salinas$23.17$35.41$44.1416012% above
Stockton$23.43$35.35$49.3945012% above
San Luis Obispo$22.73$32.24$54.311802% above
Modesto$24.00$31.62$51.45400about the same as
Santa Maria$22.32$30.95$47.944402% below
Oxnard$22.56$30.65$51.026503% below
Sacramento$22.60$30.55$54.792,5004% below
Merced$21.69$30.32$36.93804% below
Los Angeles$22.05$30.19$57.887,7105% below
Fresno$22.28$29.94$57.288005% below
Redding$22.31$29.75$36.461006% below
Riverside$18.80$29.53$48.863,6407% below
Chico$21.51$29.52$46.88607% below
Yuba City$23.58$29.31$37.66707% below
Visalia$18.27$22.40$35.2330029% below

Drywall installer wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$31.67California$28.33United States
Median hourly wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$18.71$36.16$15.3424,890
2000$19.33$36.14$15.8026,200
2001$19.09$34.70$15.8728,940
2002$19.99$35.77$16.2125,510
2003$19.93$34.87$16.1927,440
2004$20.45$34.85$16.3628,550
2005$20.53$33.84$16.7034,640
2006$21.48$34.30$17.3838,140
2007$22.04$34.22$17.5635,530
2008$22.93$34.29$18.1231,860
2009$23.47$35.22$17.8823,500
2010$23.45$34.62$17.9418,470
2011$23.35$33.42$17.7815,660
2012$23.71$33.25$17.8916,220
2013$24.36$33.67$17.8918,070
2014$24.47$33.28$18.3220,310
2015$24.40$33.14$18.8521,230
2016$25.46$34.15$19.7523,100
2017$26.06$34.23$20.6027,080
2018$26.78$34.33$21.0329,190
2019$26.57$33.46$21.9731,430
2020$27.03$33.62$22.8230,520
2021$29.34$34.86$23.0929,820
2022$29.75$32.73$24.2530,330
2023$30.96$32.71$26.7830,920
2024$31.67$32.50$27.9527,350
2025$31.67$31.67$28.3327,280

In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in California changed by -4.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 52 of the 58 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $90.92 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $26.48). 6 of the 58 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $24.62). The market median for the state is $31.67.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $96.45 (union)Alpine: $90.92 (union)Amador: $24.62 (survey)Butte: $90.92 (union)Calaveras: $96.45 (union)Colusa: $90.92 (union)Contra Costa: $96.45 (union)Del Norte: $26.48 (survey)El Dorado: $90.92 (union)Fresno: $96.45 (union)Glenn: $90.92 (union)Humboldt: $26.48 (survey)Imperial: $32.72 (union)Inyo: $32.72 (union)Kern: $32.72 (union)Kings: $96.45 (union)Lake: $26.48 (survey)Lassen: $90.92 (union)Los Angeles: $32.72 (union)Madera: $96.45 (union)Marin: $90.92 (union)Mariposa: $96.45 (union)Mendocino: $26.48 (survey)Merced: $96.45 (union)Modoc: $90.92 (union)Mono: $32.72 (union)Monterey: $96.45 (union)Napa: $90.92 (union)Nevada: $90.92 (union)Orange: $32.72 (union)Placer: $90.92 (union)Plumas: $90.92 (union)Riverside: $32.72 (union)Sacramento: $90.92 (union)San Benito: $96.45 (union)San Bernardino: $32.72 (union)San Diego: $33.63 (union)San Francisco: $96.45 (union)San Joaquin: $96.45 (union)San Luis Obispo: $32.72 (union)San Mateo: $96.45 (union)Santa Barbara: $32.72 (union)Santa Clara: $96.45 (union)Santa Cruz: $96.45 (union)Shasta: $90.92 (union)Sierra: $90.92 (union)Siskiyou: $90.92 (union)Solano: $90.92 (union)Sonoma: $90.92 (union)Stanislaus: $96.45 (union)Sutter: $90.92 (union)Tehama: $90.92 (union)Trinity: $90.92 (union)Tulare: $13.08 (survey)Tuolumne: $96.45 (union)Ventura: $32.72 (union)Yolo: $90.92 (union)Yuba: $90.92 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$32.72$90.92survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for drywall installers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$40$60$80$100$120/hrFresno (Fresno): market median $29.94, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$66.51Fresno (Fresno)+$66.51Merced (Merced): market median $30.32, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$66.13Merced (Merced)+$66.13Stanislaus (Modesto): market median $31.62, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$64.83Stanislaus (Modesto)+$64.83Kings (California): market median $31.67, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$64.78Kings (California)+$64.78Sutter (Yuba City): market median $29.31, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$61.61Sutter (Yuba City)+$61.61Butte (Chico): market median $29.52, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$61.40Butte (Chico)+$61.40Shasta (Redding): market median $29.75, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$61.17Shasta (Redding)+$61.17San Joaquin (Stockton): market median $35.35, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$61.10San Joaquin (Stockton)+$61.10Monterey (Salinas): market median $35.41, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$61.04Monterey (Salinas)+$61.04Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz): market median $35.93, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$60.52Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz)+$60.52El Dorado (Sacramento): market median $30.55, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$60.37El Dorado (Sacramento)+$60.37San Benito (San Jose): market median $38.19, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$58.26San Benito (San Jose)+$58.26Alameda (San Francisco): market median $39.50, prevailing (union) $96.45, gap +$56.95Alameda (San Francisco)+$56.95Sonoma (Santa Rosa): market median $39.74, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$51.18Sonoma (Santa Rosa)+$51.18Napa (Napa): market median $40.58, prevailing (union) $90.92, gap +$50.34Napa (Napa)+$50.34Riverside (Riverside): market median $29.53, prevailing (union) $32.72, gap +$3.19Riverside (Riverside)+$3.19Los Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $30.19, prevailing (union) $32.72, gap +$2.53Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$2.53San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo): market median $32.24, prevailing (union) $32.72, gap +$0.48San Luis Obispo (San Luis Obispo)+$0.48San Diego (San Diego): market median $36.68, prevailing (union) $33.63, gap −$3.05San Diego (San Diego)−$3.05Imperial (El Centro): market median $37.51, prevailing (union) $32.72, gap −$4.79Imperial (El Centro)−$4.79
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for drywall installers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AlamedaUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
CalaverasUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
Contra CostaUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
FresnoUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
KingsUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
MaderaUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
MariposaUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
MercedUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
MontereyUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
San BenitoUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
San FranciscoUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
San JoaquinUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
San MateoUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
Santa ClaraUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018
Santa CruzUnion PAIN0016-003 2025-01-01$63.76$32.69$96.45CA20260018

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the California prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in California?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 2026
Construction employment in California (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

Questions this page answers

How much do drywall installers make in California?

The median drywall installer in California earned $31.67 an hour ($65,880 a year) in May 2025, 12% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $26.83–$40.95; the top 10% earn more than $57.81.

Where does California rank for drywall installer pay?

California ranks 7th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $31.67 an hour, and 19th after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union drywall installer rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 52 counties, with a typical package of $90.92 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many drywall installers work in California?

BLS counted 27,280 drywall and ceiling tile installers in California in May 2025, 1.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.80; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California and metro areas, SOC 47-2081.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.