Drywall installer salary in Wisconsin
Median $28.83 an hour for 1,140 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 Wisconsin: the full range
Wisconsin ranks 19th of 49 states for median drywall installer pay, and 9th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.64). 1,140 drywall installers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.2× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.50 – $23.05 | $38,490 – $47,940 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.05 – $33.42 | $47,940 – $69,520 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $33.42 – $41.03 | $69,520 – $85,340 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Drywall installer pay by metro in Wisconsin
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis | $18.98 | $30.81 | $29.40 | $44.00 | 680 | 7% above |
| Madison | $22.39 | $30.53 | $31.38 | $44.34 | 170 | 6% above |
| Milwaukee | $18.99 | $29.23 | $30.17 | $38.40 | 340 | 1% above |
| Duluth | $16.88 | $28.95 | $32.60 | $36.54 | 40 | about the same as |
| Eau Claire | $23.20 | $28.47 | $30.68 | $31.77 | 40 | 1% below |
| La Crosse | $18.46 | $26.36 | $28.71 | $37.96 | 30 | 9% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Drywall installer wages in Wisconsin over time
Table
| Year | Wisconsin $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $18.83 | $36.39 | $15.34 | 2,270 |
| 2000 | $20.01 | $37.41 | $15.80 | 1,970 |
| 2001 | $20.97 | $38.12 | $15.87 | 1,970 |
| 2002 | $19.73 | $35.31 | $16.21 | 1,770 |
| 2003 | $21.82 | $38.18 | $16.19 | 1,740 |
| 2004 | $20.57 | $35.06 | $16.36 | 1,450 |
| 2005 | $19.65 | $32.39 | $16.70 | 1,590 |
| 2006 | $19.49 | $31.12 | $17.38 | 1,400 |
| 2007 | $19.25 | $29.89 | $17.56 | 1,310 |
| 2008 | $21.92 | $32.78 | $18.12 | 1,560 |
| 2009 | $20.85 | $31.29 | $17.88 | 1,420 |
| 2010 | $21.73 | $32.08 | $17.94 | 1,180 |
| 2011 | $20.00 | $28.62 | $17.78 | 930 |
| 2012 | $20.53 | $28.79 | $17.89 | 880 |
| 2013 | $20.38 | $28.16 | $17.89 | 990 |
| 2014 | $18.74 | $25.48 | $18.32 | 900 |
| 2015 | $20.60 | $27.98 | $18.85 | 940 |
| 2016 | $23.11 | $31.00 | $19.75 | 1,120 |
| 2017 | $22.33 | $29.33 | $20.60 | 1,450 |
| 2018 | $20.33 | $26.06 | $21.03 | 1,390 |
| 2019 | $18.42 | $23.20 | $21.97 | 1,080 |
| 2020 | $20.52 | $25.53 | $22.82 | 1,040 |
| 2021 | $23.11 | $27.46 | $23.09 | 820 |
| 2022 | $27.59 | $30.35 | $24.25 | 1,150 |
| 2023 | $28.39 | $30.00 | $26.78 | 1,060 |
| 2024 | $27.88 | $28.61 | $27.95 | 1,440 |
| 2025 | $28.83 | $28.83 | $28.33 | 1,140 |
In today's dollars, the median drywall installer wage in Wisconsin changed by +3.0% over the last ten years of data and by +24.3% since 2019.
Are there more drywall installer jobs in Wisconsin?
BLS counted 1,140 drywall installers in Wisconsin in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 10%. 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 Wisconsin
Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of drywall installers in the state to change by +5.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,740 to 1,840, with about 130 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.5% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,140 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Union scale and prevailing wage for drywall installers in Wisconsin
On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay drywall installers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 4 of the 4 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $36.76 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $28.83.
| County | Rate source | Base | Fringe | Total | Determination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa | Union PAIN0259-001 2008-05-01 | $24.61 | $12.15 | $36.76 | WI20260006 |
| Eau Claire | Union PAIN0259-001 2008-05-01 | $24.61 | $12.15 | $36.76 | WI20260006 |
| Pierce | Union PAIN0259-001 2008-05-01 | $24.61 | $12.15 | $36.76 | WI20260013 |
| St. Croix | Union PAIN0259-001 2008-05-01 | $24.61 | $12.15 | $36.76 | WI20260013 |
Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Wisconsin prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.
Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?
Keep comparing
Drywall installer pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Wisconsin
More on Wisconsin
Questions this page answers
How much do drywall installers make in Wisconsin?
The median drywall installer in Wisconsin earned $28.83 an hour ($59,970 a year) in May 2025, 2% above the national median of $28.33. The middle half earn $23.05–$33.42; the top 10% earn more than $41.03.
Where does Wisconsin rank for drywall installer pay?
Wisconsin ranks 19th of 49 states for drywall installer pay, with a median of $28.83 an hour, and 9th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).
What is the union drywall installer rate in Wisconsin?
Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for drywall installers in 4 counties, with a typical package of $36.76 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.
How many drywall installers work in Wisconsin?
BLS counted 1,140 drywall installers in Wisconsin in May 2025, 0.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.72; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is drywall installer work growing in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin's labor market agency projects +5.9% growth for drywall installers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,740 to 1,840 jobs.
How many drywall installer openings a year are there in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin projects about 130 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, Wisconsin 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: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.