Skilled Wages

Drywall installer salary in Ohio

Median $29.53 an hour for 1,680 drywall installers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.53/hrMedian hourly wageOhio, May data
$61,420/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.39 – $35.7710th to 90th percentilehourly range
1,680Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Drywall installer pay in Ohio: the full range

Wage percentiles, OhioMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrOhio: 10th $20.39 · 25th $23.65 · median $29.53 · 75th $34.11 · 90th $35.77Ohio$29.53$20.39$35.77United States: 10th $18.49 · 25th $22.81 · median $28.33 · 75th $35.69 · 90th $49.04United States$28.33
Hourly wage percentiles for drywall installers: Ohio vs United States, May 2025.

Ohio ranks 12th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.82). 1,680 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$20.39 – $23.65$42,410 – $49,190roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.65 – $34.11$49,190 – $70,940the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$34.11 – $35.77$70,940 – $74,400the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Drywall installer pay by metro in Ohio

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAkron: $31.95Akron$31.95Columbus: $31.47Columbus$31.47Huntington: $31.11Huntington$31.11Cleveland: $30.36Cleveland$30.36Toledo: $30.25Toledo$30.25Dayton: $29.53Dayton$29.53Youngstown: $28.79Youngstown$28.79Cincinnati: $26.67Cincinnati$26.67
Median hourly wage for drywall installers by metro area in Ohio, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Akron$20.39$31.95$34.21$36.03308% above
Columbus$23.14$31.47$32.95$35.775707% above
Huntington$22.85$31.11$35.19$40.22605% above
Cleveland$20.89$30.36$32.33$36.742303% above
Toledo$22.69$30.25$33.06$35.291502% above
Dayton$20.35$29.53$31.86$34.11200about the same as
Youngstown$18.85$28.79$32.94$53.45403% below
Cincinnati$18.85$26.67$27.96$35.2429010% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Drywall installer wages in Ohio over time

Ohio, 1999-2025OhioUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.53Ohio$28.33United States
Median hourly wage for drywall installers, Ohio vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearOhio $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.79$28.58$15.342,200
2000$15.52$29.02$15.801,920
2001$16.05$29.18$15.872,310
2002$16.55$29.62$16.212,090
2003$17.01$29.76$16.191,980
2004$16.60$28.29$16.361,990
2005$15.84$26.11$16.701,740
2006$15.21$24.29$17.381,790
2007$15.02$23.32$17.561,740
2008$16.13$24.12$18.121,900
2009$16.35$24.54$17.881,880
2010$16.96$25.04$17.941,170
2011$16.60$23.76$17.781,070
2012$17.13$24.02$17.891,000
2013$17.59$24.31$17.891,180
2014$17.58$23.91$18.321,300
2015$17.36$23.58$18.851,260
2016$18.59$24.94$19.751,250
2017$18.22$23.93$20.601,220
2018$20.02$25.67$21.031,320
2019$21.86$27.53$21.971,230
2020$24.87$30.94$22.82920
2021$23.11$27.46$23.09920
2022$24.26$26.69$24.251,310
2023$28.64$30.26$26.781,490
2024$28.64$29.39$27.951,230
2025$29.53$29.53$28.331,680

In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Ohio changed by +25.2% over the last ten years of data and by +7.3% since 2019.

Are there more drywall installer jobs in Ohio?

0.3Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.6× the US share, 29th of 49 states

BLS counted 1,680 drywall installers in Ohio 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 Ohio

+2.5%Projected growth in Ohio2024–2034, state agency
110Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,530Jobs in 20241,560 projected for 2034
+2.5%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Ohio's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +2.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,530 to 1,560, with about 110 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 1,680 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Ohio labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Ohio

On federally funded construction in Ohio, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 11 of the 69 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $56.15 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $25.57). 45 of the 69 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Adams County at $25.57). The market median for the state is $29.53.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, OHAdams: $25.57 (survey)Allen: $25.92 (survey)Ashland: $41.16 (survey)Ashtabula: $41.16 (survey)Athens: $25.57 (survey)Auglaize: $21.69 (survey)Belmont: n/aBrown: n/aButler: n/aCarroll: $56.15 (union)Champaign: $21.69 (survey)Clark: $25.23 (survey)Clermont: n/aClinton: $25.57 (survey)Columbiana: $41.16 (survey)Coshocton: n/aCrawford: $41.16 (survey)Cuyahoga: $55.65 (union)Darke: $21.69 (survey)Defiance: $21.69 (survey)Delaware: $25.19 (survey)Erie: $61.02 (union)Fairfield: $25.19 (survey)Fayette: $25.57 (survey)Franklin: $26.08 (survey)Fulton: $28.29 (survey)Gallia: $25.57 (survey)Geauga: $61.02 (union)Greene: $25.23 (survey)Guernsey: n/aHamilton: n/aHancock: $20.31 (survey)Hardin: $21.69 (survey)Harrison: n/aHenry: $21.69 (survey)Highland: $25.57 (survey)Hocking: $25.57 (survey)Holmes: $41.16 (survey)Huron: $41.16 (survey)Jackson: $25.57 (survey)Jefferson: n/aKnox: $41.16 (survey)Lake: $61.02 (union)Lawrence: n/aLicking: $25.19 (survey)Logan: $21.69 (survey)Lorain: $55.49 (union)Lucas: $45.99 (union)Madison: $25.19 (survey)Mahoning: $50.00 (union)Marion: $41.16 (survey)Medina: $60.08 (union)Meigs: $25.57 (survey)Mercer: $21.69 (survey)Miami: $25.23 (survey)Monroe: n/aMontgomery: $25.23 (survey)Morgan: n/aMorrow: $25.19 (survey)Muskingum: n/aNoble: n/aOttawa: $28.29 (survey)Paulding: $21.69 (survey)Perry: n/aPickaway: $25.19 (survey)Pike: $25.57 (survey)Portage: $60.08 (union)Preble: $25.23 (survey)Putnam: $21.69 (survey)Richland: $25.19 (survey)Ross: $25.57 (survey)Sandusky: $41.16 (survey)Scioto: $25.57 (survey)Seneca: $41.16 (survey)Shelby: $21.69 (survey)Stark: $56.15 (union)Summit: n/aTrumbull: $39.63 (survey)Tuscarawas: n/aUnion: $25.19 (survey)Van Wert: $21.69 (survey)Vinton: $25.57 (survey)Warren: n/aWashington: n/aWayne: $41.16 (survey)Williams: $21.69 (survey)Wood: $28.29 (survey)Wyandot: $41.16 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$23.79$25.57$26.05$41.16n/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)$20$40$60$80/hrErie (Ohio): market median $29.53, prevailing (union) $61.02, gap +$31.49Erie (Ohio)+$31.49Geauga (Cleveland): market median $30.36, prevailing (union) $61.02, gap +$30.66Geauga (Cleveland)+$30.66Portage (Akron): market median $31.95, prevailing (union) $60.08, gap +$28.13Portage (Akron)+$28.13Mahoning (Youngstown): market median $28.79, prevailing (union) $50.00, gap +$21.21Mahoning (Youngstown)+$21.21Lucas (Toledo): market median $30.25, prevailing (union) $45.99, gap +$15.74Lucas (Toledo)+$15.74Greene (Dayton): market median $29.53, prevailing (survey) $25.23, gap −$4.30Greene (Dayton)−$4.30Franklin (Columbus): market median $31.47, prevailing (survey) $26.08, gap −$5.39Franklin (Columbus)−$5.39
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for drywall installers, metro counties in Ohio.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
ErieUnion CARP0435-001 2024-05-01$37.52$23.50$61.02OH20260076
GeaugaUnion CARP0435-001 2024-05-01$37.52$23.50$61.02OH20260080
LakeUnion CARP0435-001 2024-05-01$37.52$23.50$61.02OH20260084
MedinaUnion CARP0285-003 2024-05-01$36.29$23.79$60.08OH20260091
PortageUnion CARP0285-004 2024-05-01$36.29$23.79$60.08OH20260097
CarrollUnion CARP0285-007 2024-05-01$33.09$23.06$56.15OH20260106
StarkUnion CARP0285-007 2024-05-01$33.09$23.06$56.15OH20260106
CuyahogaUnion PAIN0707-003 2025-05-01$35.45$20.20$55.65OH20260074
LorainUnion CARP0735-003 2024-05-01$33.10$22.39$55.49OH20260087
MahoningUnion PAIN0476-004 2025-06-01$31.64$18.36$50.00OH20260090
LucasUnion CARP0248-010 2014-05-01$28.22$17.77$45.99OH20260088
Ashlanduavg UAVGOH0005 2018-01-01$25.49$15.67$41.16OH20260031
Ashtabulauavg UAVGOH0005 2018-01-01$25.49$15.67$41.16OH20260032
Columbianauavg UAVGOH0005 2018-01-01$25.49$15.67$41.16OH20260036
Crawforduavg UAVGOH0005 2018-01-01$25.49$15.67$41.16OH20260037

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Ohio prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Ohio?

285.5kConstruction jobsOhio, 2026-09
+6.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025286kSep 2026
Construction employment in Ohio (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Ohio

More on Ohio

Questions this page answers

How much do drywall installers make in Ohio?

The median drywall installer in Ohio earned $29.53 an hour ($61,420 a year) in May 2025, 4% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $23.65–$34.11; the top 10% earn more than $35.77.

Where does Ohio rank for drywall installer pay?

Ohio ranks 12th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $29.53 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for Ohio's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.8, US = 100).

What is the union drywall installer rate in Ohio?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 11 counties, with a typical package of $56.15 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many drywall installers work in Ohio?

BLS counted 1,680 drywall installers in Ohio in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.57; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is drywall installer work growing in Ohio?

Ohio's labor market agency projects +2.5% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,530 to 1,560 jobs.

How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Ohio?

Ohio projects about 110 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, Ohio 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: Ohio labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.