Skilled Wages

Drywall installer salary in Colorado

Median $29.70 an hour for 1,560 drywall installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.70/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$61,780/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$21.40 – $38.2010th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,560Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Drywall installer pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrColorado: 10th $21.40 · 25th $23.43 · median $29.70 · 75th $33.77 · 90th $38.20Colorado$29.70$21.40$38.20United States: 10th $18.49 · 25th $22.81 · median $28.33 · 75th $35.69 · 90th $49.04United States$28.33
Hourly wage percentiles for drywall installers: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 11th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 18th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.81). 1,560 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$21.40 – $23.43$44,520 – $48,730roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.43 – $33.77$48,730 – $70,250the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$33.77 – $38.20$70,250 – $79,460the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Drywall installer pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDenver: $30.89Denver$30.89Fort Collins: $29.39Fort Collins$29.39Greeley: $28.76Greeley$28.76Colorado Springs: $27.44Colorado Springs$27.44Grand Junction: $25.64Grand Junction$25.64
Median hourly wage for drywall installers by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Denver$21.54$30.89$29.20$38.201,1104% above
Fort Collins$20.43$29.39$29.07$35.301201% below
Greeley$20.42$28.76$28.70$34.04503% below
Colorado Springs$18.85$27.44$27.25$38.551008% below
Grand Junction$19.66$25.64$26.85$29.075014% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Drywall installer wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 1999-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.70Colorado$28.33United States
Median hourly wage for drywall installers, Colorado vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.76$28.52$15.345,320
2000$14.44$27.00$15.805,550
2001$15.41$28.01$15.874,910
2002$15.95$28.54$16.215,430
2003$15.64$27.37$16.194,710
2004$16.11$27.46$16.364,140
2005$15.36$25.32$16.704,610
2006$15.92$25.42$17.384,840
2007$16.26$25.25$17.564,730
2008$17.41$26.03$18.124,770
2009$17.42$26.14$17.883,860
2010$17.32$25.57$17.942,800
2011$16.98$24.30$17.782,120
2012$17.97$25.20$17.892,330
2013$17.45$24.12$17.892,560
2014$19.23$26.15$18.322,250
2015$19.57$26.58$18.852,560
2016$21.09$28.29$19.752,880
2017$21.68$28.47$20.603,430
2018$22.36$28.67$21.032,910
2019$25.05$31.54$21.973,190
2020$25.46$31.67$22.823,540
2021$23.60$28.04$23.092,340
2022$25.07$27.58$24.251,420
2023$28.91$30.55$26.781,800
2024$28.19$28.93$27.951,610
2025$29.70$29.70$28.331,560

In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Colorado changed by +11.7% over the last ten years of data and by -5.8% since 2019.

Are there more drywall installer jobs in Colorado?

0.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.0× the US share, 17th of 49 states

BLS counted 1,560 drywall installers in Colorado in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 12%. 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 Colorado

+22.2%Projected growth in Colorado2024–2034, state agency
200Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
2,000Jobs in 20242,440 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Colorado's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +22.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,000 to 2,440, with about 200 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,560 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 8 of the 59 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $39.67 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $16.63). 51 of the 59 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Adams County at $25.14). The market median for the state is $29.70.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: $25.14 (survey)Alamosa: $16.63 (survey)Arapahoe: $39.67 (union)Archuleta: $16.63 (survey)Baca: $16.63 (survey)Bent: $16.63 (survey)Boulder: $25.54 (survey)Broomfield: $39.67 (union)Chaffee: $16.63 (survey)Cheyenne: $16.63 (survey)Clear Creek: $39.67 (union)Conejos: $16.63 (survey)Costilla: $16.63 (survey)Crowley: $16.63 (survey)Custer: $16.63 (survey)Delta: $16.63 (survey)Denver: $39.67 (union)Dolores: $16.63 (survey)Douglas: $17.68 (survey)Eagle: $16.63 (survey)Elbert: $39.67 (union)El Paso: n/aFremont: $16.63 (survey)Garfield: $16.63 (survey)Gilpin: $39.67 (union)Grand: $16.63 (survey)Gunnison: $16.63 (survey)Hinsdale: $16.63 (survey)Huerfano: $16.63 (survey)Jackson: $16.63 (survey)Jefferson: $39.67 (union)Kiowa: $16.63 (survey)Kit Carson: $16.63 (survey)Lake: $16.63 (survey)La Plata: $16.63 (survey)Larimer: $16.91 (survey)Las Animas: $16.63 (survey)Lincoln: $16.63 (survey)Logan: $16.63 (survey)Mesa: n/aMineral: $16.63 (survey)Moffat: $16.63 (survey)Montezuma: $16.63 (survey)Montrose: $16.63 (survey)Morgan: $16.63 (survey)Otero: $16.63 (survey)Ouray: $16.63 (survey)Park: $39.67 (union)Phillips: $16.63 (survey)Pitkin: $16.63 (survey)Prowers: $16.63 (survey)Pueblo: n/aRio Blanco: $16.63 (survey)Rio Grande: $16.63 (survey)Routt: $16.63 (survey)Saguache: $16.63 (survey)San Juan: $16.63 (survey)San Miguel: $16.63 (survey)Sedgwick: $16.63 (survey)Summit: $16.63 (survey)Teller: n/aWashington: $16.63 (survey)Weld: n/aYuma: $16.63 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$16.74n/asurvey 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)Prevailing (survey)$10$20$30$40$50/hrArapahoe (Denver): market median $30.89, prevailing (union) $39.67, gap +$8.78Arapahoe (Denver)+$8.78Boulder (Colorado): market median $29.70, prevailing (survey) $25.54, gap −$4.16Boulder (Colorado)−$4.16Larimer (Fort Collins): market median $29.39, prevailing (survey) $16.91, gap −$12.48Larimer (Fort Collins)−$12.48
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for drywall installers, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ArapahoeUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260016
BroomfieldUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260018
Clear CreekUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260019
DenverUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260020
ElbertUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260030
GilpinUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260030
JeffersonUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260023
ParkUnion PAIN0079-007 2024-08-01$28.11$11.56$39.67CO20260026
BoulderSurvey SUCO2013-003 2015-07-31$19.24$6.30$25.54CO20260017
AdamsSurvey SUCO2013-001 2015-07-31$18.77$6.37$25.14CO20260015
DouglasSurvey SUCO2013-007 2015-07-31$17.68$0.00$17.68CO20260021
LarimerSurvey SUCO2013-010 2015-07-31$16.91$0.00$16.91CO20260024
AlamosaSurvey SUCO2001-008 2001-12-20$14.44$2.19$16.63CO20260001
ArchuletaSurvey SUCO2001-008 2001-12-20$14.44$2.19$16.63CO20260001
BacaSurvey SUCO2001-008 2001-12-20$14.44$2.19$16.63CO20260001

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Colorado prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

193.6kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-09
+3.8%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025194kSep 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

More on Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do drywall installers make in Colorado?

The median drywall installer in Colorado earned $29.70 an hour ($61,780 a year) in May 2025, 5% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $23.43–$33.77; the top 10% earn more than $38.20.

Where does Colorado rank for drywall installer pay?

Colorado ranks 11th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $29.70 an hour, and 18th after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union drywall installer rate in Colorado?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 8 counties, with a typical package of $39.67 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many drywall installers work in Colorado?

BLS counted 1,560 drywall installers in Colorado in May 2025, 0.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.01; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is drywall installer work growing in Colorado?

Colorado's labor market agency projects +22.2% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 2,000 to 2,440 jobs.

How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Colorado?

Colorado projects about 200 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, Colorado 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: Colorado labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.