Drywall installer salary in Tennessee
Median $22.84 an hour for 1,150 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 Tennessee: the full range
Tennessee ranks 38th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 35th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.85). 1,150 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.8× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.90 – $18.98 | $37,220 – $39,470 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $18.98 – $27.18 | $39,470 – $56,540 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $27.18 – $31.56 | $56,540 – $65,650 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Tennessee
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville | $18.46 | $24.34 | $25.28 | $31.37 | 500 | 7% above |
| Memphis | $18.05 | $22.65 | $24.57 | $30.57 | 140 | 1% below |
| Kingsport | $16.06 | $21.96 | $25.42 | $31.16 | 40 | 4% below |
| Chattanooga | $16.83 | $21.72 | $23.74 | $31.62 | 60 | 5% below |
| Clarksville | $17.63 | $18.98 | $20.88 | $23.65 | 40 | 17% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Tennessee over time
Table
| Year | Tennessee $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.70 | $28.41 | $15.34 | 3,100 |
| 2000 | $14.70 | $27.48 | $15.80 | 2,250 |
| 2001 | $14.92 | $27.12 | $15.87 | 2,020 |
| 2002 | $14.98 | $26.81 | $16.21 | 1,890 |
| 2003 | $14.35 | $25.11 | $16.19 | 1,760 |
| 2004 | $15.22 | $25.94 | $16.36 | 1,330 |
| 2005 | $15.51 | $25.57 | $16.70 | 1,420 |
| 2006 | $15.07 | $24.07 | $17.38 | 1,060 |
| 2007 | $14.86 | $23.07 | $17.56 | 1,220 |
| 2008 | $15.21 | $22.74 | $18.12 | 890 |
| 2009 | $15.05 | $22.58 | $17.88 | 580 |
| 2010 | $16.16 | $23.86 | $17.94 | 670 |
| 2011 | $16.17 | $23.14 | $17.78 | 780 |
| 2012 | $16.01 | $22.45 | $17.89 | 1,130 |
| 2013 | $15.57 | $21.52 | $17.89 | 1,010 |
| 2014 | $16.34 | $22.22 | $18.32 | 1,370 |
| 2015 | $16.79 | $22.81 | $18.85 | 1,610 |
| 2016 | $17.50 | $23.47 | $19.75 | 1,580 |
| 2017 | $18.50 | $24.30 | $20.60 | 1,120 |
| 2018 | $19.14 | $24.54 | $21.03 | 1,140 |
| 2019 | $19.86 | $25.01 | $21.97 | 1,040 |
| 2020 | $20.47 | $25.46 | $22.82 | 1,090 |
| 2021 | $17.90 | $21.27 | $23.09 | 870 |
| 2022 | $19.80 | $21.78 | $24.25 | 1,110 |
| 2023 | $21.35 | $22.56 | $26.78 | 1,070 |
| 2024 | $22.11 | $22.69 | $27.95 | 930 |
| 2025 | $22.84 | $22.84 | $28.33 | 1,150 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Tennessee changed by +0.1% over the last ten years of data and by -8.7% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Tennessee?
BLS counted 1,150 drywall installers in Tennessee in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 14%. 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 Tennessee
Tennessee's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +10.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,480, with about 110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,150 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Tennessee labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Tennessee
On federally funded construction in Tennessee, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 14 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $18.32). The market median for the state is $22.84.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | Survey SUTN2017-049 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260196 |
| Cheatham | Survey SUTN2017-049 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260196 |
| Davidson | Survey SUTN2017-031 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260178 |
| Dickson | Survey SUTN2017-052 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260199 |
| Hickman | Survey SUTN2017-052 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260199 |
| Macon | Survey SUTN2017-056 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260203 |
| Maury | Survey SUTN2017-056 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260203 |
| Robertson | Survey SUTN2017-057 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260204 |
| Rutherford | Survey SUTN2017-040 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260187 |
| Smith | Survey SUTN2017-057 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260204 |
| Sumner | Survey SUTN2017-058 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260205 |
| Trousdale | Survey SUTN2017-058 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260205 |
| Williamson | Survey SUTN2017-045 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260192 |
| Wilson | Survey SUTN2017-046 2021-04-16 | $18.32 | $0.00 | $18.32 | TN20260193 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Tennessee prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Tennessee?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Tennessee
More on Tennessee
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Tennessee?
The median drywall installer in Tennessee earned $22.84 an hour ($47,510 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $18.98–$27.18; the top 10% earn more than $31.56.
Where does Tennessee rank for drywall installer pay?
Tennessee ranks 38th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $22.84 an hour, and 35th after adjusting for Tennessee's cost of living (BEA price parity 91.9, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Tennessee?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a drywall installer classification for most Tennessee counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many drywall installers work in Tennessee?
BLS counted 1,150 drywall installers in Tennessee in May 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.65; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Tennessee?
Tennessee's labor market agency projects +10.4% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,480 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Tennessee?
Tennessee 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, Tennessee 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: Tennessee labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.