Drywall installer salary in New Jersey
Median $36.09 an hour for 1,340 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 New Jersey: the full range
New Jersey ranks 2nd of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 4th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.17). 1,340 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 3.1× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.26 – $25.81 | $37,990 – $53,680 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $25.81 – $55.42 | $53,680 – $115,270 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $55.42 – $56.83 | $115,270 – $118,200 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in New Jersey
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | $24.20 | $34.29 | $30.45 | $56.95 | 2,560 | 5% below |
| Allentown | $20.03 | $29.67 | $29.67 | $36.97 | 110 | 18% below |
| Philadelphia | $18.03 | $29.46 | $28.71 | $45.00 | 980 | 18% below |
| Trenton | $15.49 | $25.87 | $25.07 | $52.93 | 40 | 28% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in New Jersey over time
Table
| Year | New Jersey $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $27.21 | $52.58 | $15.34 | 580 |
| 2000 | $28.51 | $53.30 | $15.80 | 1,350 |
| 2001 | $20.06 | $36.47 | $15.87 | 1,990 |
| 2002 | $28.33 | $50.70 | $16.21 | 1,600 |
| 2003 | $26.06 | $45.60 | $16.19 | 1,900 |
| 2004 | $25.24 | $43.02 | $16.36 | 1,680 |
| 2005 | $24.99 | $41.19 | $16.70 | 1,560 |
| 2006 | $21.32 | $34.05 | $17.38 | 1,690 |
| 2007 | $18.65 | $28.96 | $17.56 | 1,720 |
| 2008 | $19.29 | $28.84 | $18.12 | 1,630 |
| 2009 | $19.87 | $29.82 | $17.88 | 1,220 |
| 2010 | $24.72 | $36.50 | $17.94 | 840 |
| 2011 | $20.68 | $29.60 | $17.78 | 970 |
| 2012 | $27.38 | $38.39 | $17.89 | 860 |
| 2013 | $24.57 | $33.96 | $17.89 | 1,150 |
| 2014 | $25.70 | $34.95 | $18.32 | 810 |
| 2015 | $28.80 | $39.12 | $18.85 | 1,180 |
| 2016 | $26.76 | $35.90 | $19.75 | 1,230 |
| 2017 | $25.99 | $34.14 | $20.60 | 1,480 |
| 2018 | $25.46 | $32.64 | $21.03 | 2,010 |
| 2019 | $24.20 | $30.47 | $21.97 | 1,970 |
| 2020 | $25.16 | $31.30 | $22.82 | 1,980 |
| 2021 | $26.27 | $31.21 | $23.09 | 1,210 |
| 2022 | $27.77 | $30.55 | $24.25 | 1,010 |
| 2023 | $29.88 | $31.57 | $26.78 | 630 |
| 2024 | $31.22 | $32.04 | $27.95 | 650 |
| 2025 | $36.09 | $36.09 | $28.33 | 1,340 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in New Jersey changed by -7.7% over the last ten years of data and by +18.4% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in New Jersey?
BLS counted 1,340 drywall installers in New Jersey in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 28%. 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 New Jersey
New Jersey's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +4.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 810 to 850, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,340 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in New Jersey
On federally funded construction in New Jersey, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 21 of the 21 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $75.02 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $36.09.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260025 |
| Bergen | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260026 |
| Burlington | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260027 |
| Camden | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260028 |
| Cape May | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260029 |
| Cumberland | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260030 |
| Essex | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260031 |
| Gloucester | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260032 |
| Hudson | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260033 |
| Hunterdon | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260034 |
| Mercer | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260035 |
| Middlesex | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260036 |
| Monmouth | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260037 |
| Morris | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260038 |
| Ocean | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260039 |
| Passaic | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260040 |
| Salem | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260041 |
| Somerset | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260042 |
| Sussex | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260043 |
| Union | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260044 |
| Warren | Union PAIN0711-018 2025-05-01 | $44.87 | $30.15 | $75.02 | NJ20260045 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the New Jersey prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in New Jersey?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in New Jersey
More on New Jersey
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in New Jersey?
The median drywall installer in New Jersey earned $36.09 an hour ($75,080 a year) in May 2025, 27% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $25.81–$55.42; the top 10% earn more than $56.83.
Where does New Jersey rank for drywall installer pay?
New Jersey ranks 2nd of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $36.09 an hour, and 4th after adjusting for New Jersey's cost of living (BEA price parity 108.8, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in New Jersey?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 21 counties, with a typical package of $75.02 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many drywall installers work in New Jersey?
BLS counted 1,340 drywall installers in New Jersey in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.58; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in New Jersey?
New Jersey's labor market agency projects +4.4% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 810 to 850 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in New Jersey?
New Jersey projects about 60 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, New Jersey 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: New Jersey labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.