Skilled Wages

Drywall installer salary in Kentucky

Median $23.24 an hour for 490 drywall and ceiling tile installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.24/hrMedian hourly wageKentucky, May data
$48,340/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$11.07 – $33.0610th to 90th percentilehourly range
490Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Drywall installer pay in Kentucky: the full range

Wage percentiles, KentuckyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrKentucky: 10th $11.07 · 25th $19.92 · median $23.24 · 75th $27.76 · 90th $33.06Kentucky$23.24$11.07$33.06United 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: Kentucky vs United States, May 2025.

Kentucky ranks 35th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 30th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.76). 490 drywall and ceiling tile installers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$11.07 – $19.92$23,020 – $41,430roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$19.92 – $27.76$41,430 – $57,730the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$27.76 – $33.06$57,730 – $68,760the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Drywall installer pay by metro in Kentucky

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrHuntington: $31.11Huntington$31.11Cincinnati: $26.67Cincinnati$26.67Lexington: $23.24Lexington$23.24Louisville: $22.11Louisville$22.11Clarksville: $18.98Clarksville$18.98
Median hourly wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers by metro area in Kentucky, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Huntington$22.85$31.11$40.226034% above
Cincinnati$18.85$26.67$35.2429015% above
Lexington$18.53$23.24$28.3660about the same as
Louisville$11.07$22.11$29.242305% below
Clarksville$17.63$18.98$23.654018% below

Drywall installer wages in Kentucky over time

Kentucky, 1999-2025KentuckyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30200020052010201520202025$28.33United States$23.24Kentucky
Median hourly wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers, Kentucky vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKentucky $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.54$28.10$15.34700
2000$14.75$27.58$15.80440
2001$13.96$25.38$15.87800
2002$14.94$26.74$16.21970
2003$14.96$26.18$16.19900
2004$17.25$29.40$16.361,170
2005$15.69$25.86$16.701,240
2006$15.27$24.39$17.381,390
2007$14.70$22.82$17.561,570
2008$15.53$23.22$18.121,650
2009$16.54$24.82$17.881,310
2010$16.83$24.85$17.941,110
2011$17.70$25.33$17.78710
2012$16.88$23.67$17.89700
2013$15.76$21.78$17.89630
2014$15.61$21.23$18.32690
2015$16.45$22.34$18.85550
2016$18.37$24.64$19.75710
2017$19.78$25.98$20.60850
2018$19.52$25.03$21.03770
2019$18.81$23.69$21.97650
2020$19.39$24.12$22.82670
2021$18.36$21.81$23.09380
2022$22.01$24.21$24.25300
2023$18.77$19.83$26.78350
2024$22.57$23.16$27.95470
2025$23.24$23.24$28.33490

In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Kentucky changed by +4.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Kentucky

On federally funded construction in Kentucky, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 71 of the 77 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $63.61 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $35.91). 6 of the 77 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Daviess County at $36.57). The market median for the state is $23.24.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KYAdair: —Allen: —Anderson: $63.61 (union)Ballard: $53.02 (union)Barren: —Bath: $63.61 (union)Bell: $63.61 (union)Boone: —Bourbon: $50.34 (union)Boyd: —Boyle: $63.61 (union)Bracken: —Breathitt: $63.61 (union)Breckinridge: $53.02 (union)Bullitt: —Butler: —Caldwell: $53.02 (union)Calloway: $53.02 (union)Campbell: —Carlisle: $53.02 (union)Carroll: $63.61 (union)Carter: $63.61 (union)Casey: —Christian: —Clark: $50.34 (union)Clay: $63.61 (union)Clinton: —Crittenden: $53.02 (union)Cumberland: —Daviess: $36.57 (survey)Edmonson: —Elliott: $63.61 (union)Estill: $63.61 (union)Fayette: $50.34 (union)Fleming: $63.61 (union)Floyd: $63.61 (union)Franklin: $63.61 (union)Fulton: $53.02 (union)Gallatin: —Garrard: $63.61 (union)Grant: —Graves: $53.02 (union)Grayson: $53.02 (union)Green: —Greenup: —Hancock: $36.57 (survey)Hardin: $35.24 (survey)Harlan: $63.61 (union)Harrison: $63.61 (union)Hart: —Henderson: $53.02 (union)Henry: —Hickman: $53.02 (union)Hopkins: $53.02 (union)Jackson: $63.61 (union)Jefferson: —Jessamine: $50.34 (union)Johnson: $63.61 (union)Kenton: —Knott: $63.61 (union)Knox: —Larue: $35.24 (survey)Laurel: —Lawrence: $63.61 (union)Lee: $63.61 (union)Leslie: $63.61 (union)Letcher: $63.61 (union)Lewis: $63.61 (union)Lincoln: $63.61 (union)Livingston: $53.02 (union)Logan: —Lyon: $53.02 (union)McCracken: $53.02 (union)McCreary: —McLean: $36.57 (survey)Madison: $63.61 (union)Magoffin: $63.61 (union)Marion: —Marshall: $53.02 (union)Martin: $63.61 (union)Mason: $63.61 (union)Meade: $35.24 (survey)Menifee: $63.61 (union)Mercer: $63.61 (union)Metcalfe: —Monroe: —Montgomery: $63.61 (union)Morgan: $63.61 (union)Muhlenberg: $53.02 (union)Nelson: —Nicholas: $63.61 (union)Ohio: $53.02 (union)Oldham: —Owen: $63.61 (union)Owsley: $63.61 (union)Pendleton: —Perry: $63.61 (union)Pike: $63.61 (union)Powell: $63.61 (union)Pulaski: —Robertson: $63.61 (union)Rockcastle: $63.61 (union)Rowan: $63.61 (union)Russell: —Scott: $50.34 (union)Shelby: —Simpson: —Spencer: —Taylor: —Todd: $53.02 (union)Trigg: —Trimble: —Union: $53.02 (union)Warren: —Washington: $63.61 (union)Wayne: —Webster: $53.02 (union)Whitley: —Wolfe: $63.61 (union)Woodford: $50.34 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$53.02n/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)$0$20$40$60$80/hrCarter (Huntington): market median $31.11, prevailing (union) $63.61, gap +$32.50Carter (Huntington)+$32.50Ballard (Kentucky): market median $23.24, prevailing (union) $53.02, gap +$29.78Ballard (Kentucky)+$29.78Bourbon (Lexington): market median $23.24, prevailing (union) $50.34, gap +$27.10Bourbon (Lexington)+$27.10Meade (Louisville): market median $22.11, prevailing (survey) $35.24, gap +$13.13Meade (Louisville)+$13.13
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for drywall installers, metro counties in Kentucky.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AndersonUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
BathUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
BellUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260019
BoyleUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
BreathittUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260043
CarrollUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260021
CarterUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260022
ClayUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260043
ElliottUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260043
EstillUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
FlemingUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
FloydUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260043
FranklinUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260023
GarrardUnion CARP1650-003 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260018
HarlanUnion CARP0472-004 2025-06-01$37.04$26.57$63.61KY20260043

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

Is construction work growing in Kentucky?

96.4kConstruction jobsKentucky, 2026-08
+1.3%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202640k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202596kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kentucky (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kentucky

Questions this page answers

How much do drywall installers make in Kentucky?

The median drywall installer in Kentucky earned $23.24 an hour ($48,340 a year) in May 2025, 18% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $19.92–$27.76; the top 10% earn more than $33.06.

Where does Kentucky rank for drywall installer pay?

Kentucky ranks 35th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $23.24 an hour, and 30th after adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.2, US = 100).

What is the union drywall installer rate in Kentucky?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 71 counties, with a typical package of $63.61 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many drywall installers work in Kentucky?

BLS counted 490 drywall and ceiling tile installers in Kentucky in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.46; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Kentucky 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.