Drywall installer salary in Louisiana
Median $22.80 an hour for 310 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 Louisiana: the full range
Louisiana ranks 39th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 29th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.85). 310 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $13.61 – $16.01 | $28,310 – $33,290 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $16.01 – $29.20 | $33,290 – $60,730 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $29.20 – $37.38 | $60,730 – $77,740 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Louisiana
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans | $13.86 | $23.67 | $25.56 | $39.15 | 50 | 4% above |
| Baton Rouge | $13.61 | $23.15 | $25.50 | $37.38 | 100 | 2% above |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Louisiana over time
Table
| Year | Louisiana $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.72 | $26.51 | $15.34 | 1,950 |
| 2000 | $12.52 | $23.41 | $15.80 | 1,640 |
| 2001 | $13.24 | $24.07 | $15.87 | 1,470 |
| 2002 | $12.89 | $23.07 | $16.21 | 1,300 |
| 2003 | $12.21 | $21.36 | $16.19 | 1,270 |
| 2004 | $13.87 | $23.64 | $16.36 | 1,260 |
| 2005 | $14.77 | $24.35 | $16.70 | 1,330 |
| 2006 | $15.74 | $25.14 | $17.38 | 1,260 |
| 2007 | $16.26 | $25.25 | $17.56 | 1,150 |
| 2008 | $16.13 | $24.12 | $18.12 | 1,430 |
| 2009 | $15.54 | $23.32 | $17.88 | 1,320 |
| 2010 | $16.08 | $23.74 | $17.94 | 1,220 |
| 2011 | $16.67 | $23.86 | $17.78 | 950 |
| 2012 | $16.24 | $22.77 | $17.89 | 610 |
| 2013 | $16.40 | $22.66 | $17.89 | 1,170 |
| 2014 | $18.04 | $24.53 | $18.32 | — |
| 2015 | $18.29 | $24.84 | $18.85 | — |
| 2016 | $18.26 | $24.49 | $19.75 | — |
| 2017 | $16.90 | $22.20 | $20.60 | 480 |
| 2018 | $16.74 | $21.46 | $21.03 | 350 |
| 2019 | $17.67 | $22.25 | $21.97 | 310 |
| 2020 | $17.36 | $21.59 | $22.82 | 630 |
| 2021 | $18.19 | $21.61 | $23.09 | 880 |
| 2022 | $17.34 | $19.08 | $24.25 | 540 |
| 2023 | $17.29 | $18.27 | $26.78 | 500 |
| 2024 | $17.68 | $18.15 | $27.95 | 410 |
| 2025 | $22.80 | $22.80 | $28.33 | 310 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Louisiana changed by -8.2% over the last ten years of data and by +2.5% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Louisiana?
BLS counted 310 drywall installers in Louisiana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 31%. 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 Louisiana
Louisiana's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +4.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 520 to 550, with about 40 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 310 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Louisiana
On federally funded construction in Louisiana, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 13 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $22.68). 13 of the 13 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Bossier County at $15.60). The market median for the state is $22.80.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson | Survey SULA2012-023 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260038 |
| Plaquemines | Survey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260052 |
| St. Bernard | Survey SULA2012-028 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260043 |
| St. Charles | Survey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260052 |
| St. James | Survey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260052 |
| St. John the Baptist | Survey SULA2012-037 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260052 |
| St. Tammany | Survey SULA2012-029 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260044 |
| Tangipahoa | Survey SULA2012-030 2014-09-22 | $18.35 | $4.33 | $22.68 | LA20260045 |
| Orleans | Survey SULA2012-026 2014-09-22 | $16.55 | $0.00 | $16.55 | LA20260041 |
| Bossier | Survey SULA2012-015 2014-09-22 | $15.60 | $0.00 | $15.60 | LA20260030 |
| Caddo | Survey SULA2012-016 2014-09-22 | $15.60 | $0.00 | $15.60 | LA20260031 |
| De Soto | Survey SULA2012-019 2014-09-22 | $15.60 | $0.00 | $15.60 | LA20260034 |
| Webster | Survey SULA2012-033 2014-09-22 | $15.60 | $0.00 | $15.60 | LA20260048 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Louisiana prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Louisiana?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Louisiana
More on Louisiana
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Louisiana?
The median drywall installer in Louisiana earned $22.80 an hour ($47,420 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $16.01–$29.20; the top 10% earn more than $37.38.
Where does Louisiana rank for drywall installer pay?
Louisiana ranks 39th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $22.80 an hour, and 29th after adjusting for Louisiana's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.2, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Louisiana?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a drywall installer classification for most Louisiana counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many drywall installers work in Louisiana?
BLS counted 310 drywall installers in Louisiana in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.30; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Louisiana?
Louisiana's labor market agency projects +4.4% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 520 to 550 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Louisiana?
Louisiana projects about 40 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, Louisiana 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: Louisiana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.