Drywall installer salary in Virginia
Median $26.84 an hour for 2,480 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 Virginia: the full range
Virginia ranks 23rd of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 25th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.55). 2,480 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 | $18.77 – $22.84 | $39,040 – $47,510 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.84 – $29.22 | $47,510 – $60,770 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $29.22 – $34.29 | $60,770 – $71,330 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Virginia
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $22.96 | $28.40 | $26.08 | $37.41 | 2,210 | 6% above |
| Richmond | $19.42 | $23.68 | $24.19 | $29.04 | 360 | 12% below |
| Virginia Beach | $18.77 | $23.52 | $24.02 | $27.55 | 270 | 12% below |
| Lynchburg | $15.39 | $23.37 | $26.14 | $26.84 | 50 | 13% below |
| Roanoke | $15.38 | $22.84 | $24.40 | $28.30 | 50 | 15% below |
| Harrisonburg | $18.67 | $22.77 | $23.99 | $29.69 | 40 | 15% below |
| Kingsport | $16.06 | $21.96 | $25.42 | $31.16 | 40 | 18% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Virginia over time
Table
| Year | Virginia $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.26 | $25.62 | $15.34 | 4,540 |
| 2000 | $13.45 | $25.15 | $15.80 | 3,920 |
| 2001 | $14.42 | $26.21 | $15.87 | 4,090 |
| 2002 | $14.97 | $26.79 | $16.21 | 4,370 |
| 2003 | $15.04 | $26.32 | $16.19 | 4,310 |
| 2004 | $15.53 | $26.47 | $16.36 | 4,060 |
| 2005 | $15.24 | $25.12 | $16.70 | 3,500 |
| 2006 | $16.38 | $26.16 | $17.38 | 3,700 |
| 2007 | $16.72 | $25.96 | $17.56 | 3,330 |
| 2008 | $17.28 | $25.84 | $18.12 | 3,350 |
| 2009 | $16.08 | $24.13 | $17.88 | 3,090 |
| 2010 | $16.24 | $23.98 | $17.94 | 3,100 |
| 2011 | $16.81 | $24.06 | $17.78 | 2,880 |
| 2012 | $17.57 | $24.64 | $17.89 | 3,030 |
| 2013 | $17.54 | $24.24 | $17.89 | 2,710 |
| 2014 | $17.83 | $24.25 | $18.32 | 2,810 |
| 2015 | $18.36 | $24.94 | $18.85 | 2,280 |
| 2016 | $19.60 | $26.29 | $19.75 | 2,020 |
| 2017 | $18.13 | $23.81 | $20.60 | 1,940 |
| 2018 | $17.70 | $22.69 | $21.03 | 1,770 |
| 2019 | $17.67 | $22.25 | $21.97 | 1,560 |
| 2020 | $19.41 | $24.14 | $22.82 | 1,170 |
| 2021 | $19.08 | $22.67 | $23.09 | 2,520 |
| 2022 | $22.63 | $24.89 | $24.25 | 3,040 |
| 2023 | $24.10 | $25.46 | $26.78 | 2,330 |
| 2024 | $24.89 | $25.54 | $27.95 | 1,800 |
| 2025 | $26.84 | $26.84 | $28.33 | 2,480 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Virginia changed by +7.6% over the last ten years of data and by +20.6% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Virginia?
BLS counted 2,480 drywall installers in Virginia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 19%. 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 Virginia
Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +6.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 2,300 to 2,450, with about 170 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 2,480 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Virginia
On federally funded construction in Virginia, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 16 of the 19 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $41.02 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $33.39). 3 of the 19 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Fairfax County at $33.39). The market median for the state is $26.84.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260013 |
| Clarke | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260018 |
| Culpeper | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260174 |
| Fauquier | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260020 |
| Frederick | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260021 |
| Loudoun | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260158 |
| Prince William | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260162 |
| Rappahannock | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260174 |
| Spotsylvania | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260165 |
| Stafford | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260174 |
| Warren | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260168 |
| Alexandria | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260013 |
| Fredericksburg | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260165 |
| Manassas | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260162 |
| Manassas Park | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260162 |
| Winchester | Union PAIN0051-036 2025-06-01 | $29.16 | $11.86 | $41.02 | VA20260021 |
| Fairfax | Survey SUVA2013-034 2016-01-11 | $25.53 | $7.86 | $33.39 | VA20260178 |
| Fairfax | Survey SUVA2013-034 2016-01-11 | $25.53 | $7.86 | $33.39 | VA20260178 |
| Falls Church | Survey SUVA2013-034 2016-01-11 | $25.53 | $7.86 | $33.39 | VA20260178 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Virginia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Virginia?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Virginia
More on Virginia
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Virginia?
The median drywall installer in Virginia earned $26.84 an hour ($55,840 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $22.84–$29.22; the top 10% earn more than $34.29.
Where does Virginia rank for drywall installer pay?
Virginia ranks 23rd of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $26.84 an hour, and 25th after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 101.1, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Virginia?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 16 counties, with a typical package of $41.02 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many drywall installers work in Virginia?
BLS counted 2,480 drywall installers in Virginia in May 2025, 0.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.13; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Virginia?
Virginia's labor market agency projects +6.3% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 2,300 to 2,450 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Virginia?
Virginia projects about 170 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, Virginia 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: Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.