Drywall installer salary in South Carolina
Median $21.80 an hour for 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 South Carolina: the full range
South Carolina ranks 42nd of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 42nd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $23.27). 340 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $15.55 – $18.36 | $32,340 – $38,180 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $18.36 – $25.56 | $38,180 – $53,160 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $25.56 – $32.98 | $53,160 – $68,600 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in South Carolina
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head | $17.49 | $23.04 | $23.51 | $38.77 | 50 | 6% above |
| Charlotte | $16.59 | $22.07 | $22.68 | $28.79 | 440 | 1% above |
| Columbia | $17.49 | $21.54 | $22.99 | $31.25 | 50 | 1% below |
| Charleston | $15.55 | $18.59 | $18.41 | $33.21 | 70 | 15% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in South Carolina over time
Table
| Year | South Carolina $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.49 | $22.20 | $15.34 | 2,070 |
| 2000 | $11.97 | $22.38 | $15.80 | 1,640 |
| 2001 | $12.98 | $23.60 | $15.87 | 1,680 |
| 2002 | $13.06 | $23.37 | $16.21 | 1,380 |
| 2003 | $13.05 | $22.83 | $16.19 | 1,190 |
| 2004 | $13.58 | $23.14 | $16.36 | 1,090 |
| 2005 | $12.86 | $21.20 | $16.70 | 1,000 |
| 2006 | $13.28 | $21.21 | $17.38 | 1,250 |
| 2007 | $14.00 | $21.74 | $17.56 | 1,310 |
| 2008 | $14.76 | $22.07 | $18.12 | 1,260 |
| 2009 | $15.03 | $22.55 | $17.88 | 950 |
| 2010 | $15.31 | $22.60 | $17.94 | 650 |
| 2011 | $15.40 | $22.04 | $17.78 | 740 |
| 2012 | $15.36 | $21.54 | $17.89 | 680 |
| 2013 | $15.51 | $21.43 | $17.89 | 750 |
| 2014 | $14.94 | $20.32 | $18.32 | 930 |
| 2015 | $14.89 | $20.23 | $18.85 | 850 |
| 2016 | $14.93 | $20.03 | $19.75 | 920 |
| 2017 | $16.43 | $21.58 | $20.60 | 1,060 |
| 2018 | $17.10 | $21.92 | $21.03 | 1,290 |
| 2019 | $17.74 | $22.34 | $21.97 | 1,290 |
| 2020 | $17.67 | $21.98 | $22.82 | 1,140 |
| 2021 | $18.23 | $21.66 | $23.09 | 880 |
| 2022 | $20.80 | $22.88 | $24.25 | 780 |
| 2023 | $21.48 | $22.70 | $26.78 | 560 |
| 2024 | $21.48 | $22.05 | $27.95 | 570 |
| 2025 | $21.80 | $21.80 | $28.33 | 340 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in South Carolina changed by +7.8% over the last ten years of data and by -2.4% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in South Carolina?
BLS counted 340 drywall installers in South Carolina in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 22%. 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 South Carolina
South Carolina's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +4.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 830 to 870, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 340 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: South Carolina labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in South Carolina
On federally funded construction in South Carolina, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 21 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $17.82). 21 of the 21 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Aiken County at $17.82). The market median for the state is $21.80.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken | Survey SUSC2011-028 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260032 |
| Anderson | Survey SUSC2011-017 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260021 |
| Berkeley | Survey SUSC2011-018 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260022 |
| Calhoun | Survey SUSC2011-029 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260033 |
| Charleston | Survey SUSC2011-019 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260023 |
| Darlington | Survey SUSC2011-030 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260005 |
| Dorchester | Survey SUSC2011-020 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260024 |
| Edgefield | Survey SUSC2011-028 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260032 |
| Fairfield | Survey SUSC2011-029 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260033 |
| Florence | Survey SUSC2011-030 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260005 |
| Greenville | Survey SUSC2011-021 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260025 |
| Horry | Survey SUSC2011-022 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260026 |
| Kershaw | Survey SUSC2011-023 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260027 |
| Laurens | Survey SUSC2011-031 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260006 |
| Lexington | Survey SUSC2011-029 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260033 |
| Pickens | Survey SUSC2011-031 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260006 |
| Richland | Survey SUSC2011-024 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260028 |
| Saluda | Survey SUSC2011-029 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260033 |
| Spartanburg | Survey SUSC2011-025 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260029 |
| Sumter | Survey SUSC2011-026 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260030 |
| York | Survey SUSC2011-027 2011-08-31 | $16.32 | $1.50 | $17.82 | SC20260031 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the South Carolina prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in South Carolina?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in South Carolina
More on South Carolina
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in South Carolina?
The median drywall installer in South Carolina earned $21.80 an hour ($45,340 a year) in May 2025, 23% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $18.36–$25.56; the top 10% earn more than $32.98.
Where does South Carolina rank for drywall installer pay?
South Carolina ranks 42nd of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $21.80 an hour, and 42nd after adjusting for South Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 93.7, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in South Carolina?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a drywall installer classification for most South Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many drywall installers work in South Carolina?
BLS counted 340 drywall installers in South Carolina in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.28; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in South Carolina?
South Carolina's labor market agency projects +4.5% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 830 to 870 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in South Carolina?
South Carolina 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, South Carolina 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: South Carolina labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.