Drywall installer salary in Hawaii
Median $50.40 an hour for 800 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 Hawaii: the full range
Hawaii ranks 1st of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 1st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $45.82). 800 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.4× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $24.15 – $35.36 | $50,230 – $73,550 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $35.36 – $55.47 | $73,550 – $115,380 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $55.47 – $57.53 | $115,380 – $119,660 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Hawaii
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | $24.15 | $50.92 | $45.87 | $57.53 | 710 | 1% above |
| Kahului | $25.80 | $40.00 | $36.56 | $68.72 | 60 | 21% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Hawaii over time
Table
| Year | Hawaii $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $28.95 | $55.94 | $15.34 | — |
| 2000 | $29.33 | $54.84 | $15.80 | 440 |
| 2001 | $29.28 | $53.23 | $15.87 | 490 |
| 2002 | $30.37 | $54.35 | $16.21 | 390 |
| 2003 | $28.70 | $50.22 | $16.19 | 510 |
| 2004 | $26.39 | $44.98 | $16.36 | 620 |
| 2005 | $24.02 | $39.60 | $16.70 | 740 |
| 2006 | $24.66 | $39.38 | $17.38 | 800 |
| 2007 | $27.98 | $43.44 | $17.56 | 1,120 |
| 2008 | $30.86 | $46.15 | $18.12 | 970 |
| 2009 | $30.95 | $46.44 | $17.88 | 600 |
| 2010 | $33.30 | $49.16 | $17.94 | 350 |
| 2011 | $32.87 | $47.05 | $17.78 | 500 |
| 2012 | $33.59 | $47.10 | $17.89 | 640 |
| 2013 | $29.54 | $40.82 | $17.89 | 760 |
| 2014 | $23.98 | $32.61 | $18.32 | 1,000 |
| 2015 | $26.33 | $35.76 | $18.85 | 860 |
| 2016 | $40.42 | $54.22 | $19.75 | 1,010 |
| 2017 | $43.00 | $56.48 | $20.60 | 800 |
| 2018 | $42.37 | $54.32 | $21.03 | 710 |
| 2019 | $39.81 | $50.13 | $21.97 | 520 |
| 2020 | $42.43 | $52.78 | $22.82 | 660 |
| 2021 | $37.75 | $44.85 | $23.09 | 830 |
| 2022 | $43.58 | $47.94 | $24.25 | 680 |
| 2023 | $51.38 | $54.29 | $26.78 | 600 |
| 2024 | $50.32 | $51.64 | $27.95 | 820 |
| 2025 | $50.40 | $50.40 | $28.33 | 800 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Hawaii changed by +40.9% over the last ten years of data and by +0.5% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Hawaii?
BLS counted 800 drywall installers in Hawaii in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 9%. 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 Hawaii
Hawaii's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +5.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,050 to 1,100, with about 80 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 800 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Hawaii labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Hawaii
On federally funded construction in Hawaii, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 5 of the 5 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $85.56 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $50.40.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | Union CARP0745-002 2025-09-01 | $55.75 | $29.81 | $85.56 | HI20260001 |
| Honolulu | Union CARP0745-002 2025-09-01 | $55.75 | $29.81 | $85.56 | HI20260001 |
| Kalawao | Union CARP0745-002 2025-09-01 | $55.75 | $29.81 | $85.56 | HI20260001 |
| Kauai | Union CARP0745-002 2025-09-01 | $55.75 | $29.81 | $85.56 | HI20260001 |
| Maui | Union CARP0745-002 2025-09-01 | $55.75 | $29.81 | $85.56 | HI20260001 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Hawaii prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Hawaii?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Hawaii
More on Hawaii
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Hawaii?
The median drywall installer in Hawaii earned $50.40 an hour ($104,830 a year) in May 2025, 78% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $35.36–$55.47; the top 10% earn more than $57.53.
Where does Hawaii rank for drywall installer pay?
Hawaii ranks 1st of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $50.40 an hour, and 1st after adjusting for Hawaii's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.0, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Hawaii?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 5 counties, with a typical package of $85.56 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many drywall installers work in Hawaii?
BLS counted 800 drywall installers in Hawaii in May 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 2.40; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Hawaii?
Hawaii's labor market agency projects +5.2% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,050 to 1,100 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Hawaii?
Hawaii projects about 80 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, Hawaii 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: Hawaii labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.