Drywall installer salary in Florida
Median $23.54 an hour for 6,000 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 Florida: the full range
Florida ranks 32nd of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 45th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $22.77). 6,000 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $16.09 – $18.87 | $33,460 – $39,260 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $18.87 – $26.31 | $39,260 – $54,730 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $26.31 – $29.58 | $54,730 – $61,520 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Florida
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples | $17.17 | $25.40 | $24.61 | $29.29 | 200 | 8% above |
| Sarasota | $17.09 | $24.25 | $23.68 | $29.99 | 250 | 3% above |
| Miami | $18.00 | $24.12 | $21.12 | $30.44 | 1,300 | 2% above |
| Jacksonville | $17.79 | $23.92 | $24.04 | $28.28 | 560 | 2% above |
| Tampa | $17.60 | $23.83 | $23.62 | $29.58 | 770 | 1% above |
| Palm Bay | $15.62 | $23.47 | $23.47 | $29.86 | 80 | about the same as |
| Port St. Lucie | $17.91 | $23.33 | $23.28 | $29.43 | 100 | 1% below |
| Orlando | $14.59 | $22.96 | $22.64 | $29.13 | 900 | 2% below |
| Daytona Beach | $15.22 | $22.93 | $23.07 | $28.83 | 140 | 3% below |
| Cape Coral | $15.83 | $22.63 | $22.12 | $29.58 | 800 | 4% below |
| Pensacola | $17.29 | $22.59 | $23.12 | $28.88 | 140 | 4% below |
| Vero Beach | $15.82 | $22.59 | $22.98 | $29.55 | 60 | 4% below |
| Lakeland | $14.77 | $22.40 | $23.07 | $27.99 | 140 | 5% below |
| Ocala | $17.24 | $21.28 | $22.35 | $28.03 | 100 | 10% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Florida over time
Table
| Year | Florida $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $12.89 | $24.91 | $15.34 | 5,870 |
| 2000 | $14.01 | $26.19 | $15.80 | 6,850 |
| 2001 | $13.85 | $25.18 | $15.87 | 7,240 |
| 2002 | $13.46 | $24.09 | $16.21 | 6,030 |
| 2003 | $13.92 | $24.36 | $16.19 | 6,350 |
| 2004 | $14.35 | $24.46 | $16.36 | 6,310 |
| 2005 | $15.23 | $25.11 | $16.70 | 7,740 |
| 2006 | $15.43 | $24.64 | $17.38 | 9,670 |
| 2007 | $15.51 | $24.08 | $17.56 | 9,470 |
| 2008 | $15.93 | $23.82 | $18.12 | 8,030 |
| 2009 | $16.05 | $24.09 | $17.88 | 6,200 |
| 2010 | $15.78 | $23.30 | $17.94 | 4,520 |
| 2011 | $15.93 | $22.80 | $17.78 | 3,900 |
| 2012 | $16.06 | $22.52 | $17.89 | 4,590 |
| 2013 | $15.43 | $21.32 | $17.89 | 4,490 |
| 2014 | $13.78 | $18.74 | $18.32 | 4,970 |
| 2015 | $14.32 | $19.45 | $18.85 | 5,000 |
| 2016 | $15.57 | $20.89 | $19.75 | 5,160 |
| 2017 | $16.97 | $22.29 | $20.60 | 5,060 |
| 2018 | $16.84 | $21.59 | $21.03 | 4,980 |
| 2019 | $17.07 | $21.50 | $21.97 | 6,550 |
| 2020 | $17.85 | $22.20 | $22.82 | 6,560 |
| 2021 | $18.65 | $22.16 | $23.09 | 6,600 |
| 2022 | $18.11 | $19.92 | $24.25 | 5,350 |
| 2023 | $22.11 | $23.36 | $26.78 | 5,450 |
| 2024 | $22.56 | $23.15 | $27.95 | 4,970 |
| 2025 | $23.54 | $23.54 | $28.33 | 6,000 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Florida changed by +21.0% over the last ten years of data and by +9.5% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Florida?
Since 1999, the number of drywall installers counted in Florida has changed by +2.2%, against -29.8% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -8.4%.
Table
| Year | Florida jobs | Florida index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 5,870 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 6,850 | 117 | 100 |
| 2001 | 7,240 | 123 | 103 |
| 2002 | 6,030 | 103 | 94 |
| 2003 | 6,350 | 108 | 95 |
| 2004 | 6,310 | 108 | 96 |
| 2005 | 7,740 | 132 | 107 |
| 2006 | 9,670 | 165 | 119 |
| 2007 | 9,470 | 161 | 116 |
| 2008 | 8,030 | 137 | 109 |
| 2009 | 6,200 | 106 | 87 |
| 2010 | 4,520 | 77 | 70 |
| 2011 | 3,900 | 66 | 64 |
| 2012 | 4,590 | 78 | 64 |
| 2013 | 4,490 | 76 | 68 |
| 2014 | 4,970 | 85 | 72 |
| 2015 | 5,000 | 85 | 75 |
| 2016 | 5,160 | 88 | 79 |
| 2017 | 5,060 | 86 | 82 |
| 2018 | 4,980 | 85 | 86 |
| 2019 | 6,550 | 112 | 87 |
| 2020 | 6,560 | 112 | 84 |
| 2021 | 6,600 | 112 | 82 |
| 2022 | 5,350 | 91 | 77 |
| 2023 | 5,450 | 93 | 77 |
| 2024 | 4,970 | 85 | 70 |
| 2025 | 6,000 | 102 | 70 |
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.
Outlook for drywall installers in Florida
Florida's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +11.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 6,110 to 6,820, with about 520 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 6,000 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Florida labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Florida?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Florida
More on Florida
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Florida?
The median drywall installer in Florida earned $23.54 an hour ($48,970 a year) in May 2025, 17% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $18.87–$26.31; the top 10% earn more than $29.58.
Where does Florida rank for drywall installer pay?
Florida ranks 32nd of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $23.54 an hour, and 45th after adjusting for Florida's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.4, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Florida?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a drywall installer classification for most Florida counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many drywall installers work in Florida?
BLS counted 6,000 drywall installers in Florida in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.13; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Florida?
The BLS employer survey count of drywall installers in Florida went from 5,000 in 2015 to 6,000 in 2025, +20.0%, and -8.4% since 2019. Florida's labor market agency projects +11.8% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 6,110 to 6,820 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Florida?
Florida projects about 520 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, Florida 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: Florida labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.