How much do drywall installers make in 2026?
Drywall installers are counted in the BLS drywall and ceiling tile installers series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 47-2081 national median at $58,930 a year ($28.33 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $38,460 and the top 10% at $102,010. That top decile is higher than most people expect for hanging board, and piece-rate economics explain it. Experienced residential and commercial hangers are typically paid per sheet or per square foot rather than hourly, so output converts directly into income and a fast, accurate two-person crew can substantially exceed an hourly equivalent. The trade-off is that the pay is unforgiving of slow days, weather delays and poorly stocked jobs. Above straightforward board hanging sit better-paid specialisms: commercial metal stud framing and layout, which is really a light structural trade; acoustic ceiling grid and specialty ceilings; fire-rated and sound assemblies where inspection matters; and level-5 finish work in high-end interiors. Union commercial work in metropolitan markets adds pension and health contributions that piece-rate residential work does not. Employment is projected to grow 4.2% through 2034 with roughly 7,700 openings a year. → Full drywall installer career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $58,930 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Drywall Installers earn a national median $58,930/yr ($28.33/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2081); the P10 to P90 range is $38,460 to $102,010.
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers have a dedicated BLS series: a $58,930 median with a top decile of $102,010, which piece-rate output rather than hourly seniority explains.
- Most experienced hangers are paid per sheet or per square foot, so earnings track productivity directly — and suffer directly from delays, poor stocking and weather.
- Metal stud framing and layout, acoustic and specialty ceilings, and rated assemblies are the better-paid specialisms; union commercial work adds pension and health value.
US Drywall Installer Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do drywall installers earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 47-2081; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 47-2081, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does a drywall installer earn at each career stage?
Drywall pay is driven by output and by whether you can frame and lay out rather than only hang. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 47-2081.
By State
Which states pay drywall installers the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. Drywall earnings depend more on construction volume and pay structure than on state wage levels: fast-building markets support high piece-rate income, while markets with strong union commercial sectors trade some output-based upside for pension and benefit value.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($67,770), the highest-paying state shown. See all role salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay drywall installers the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro premiums are genuine in commercial interiors, where union agreements, high-rise material handling and night fit-out work all raise the rate above suburban residential hanging.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise a drywall installer’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does drywall installer pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Drywall Installers sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify drywall installer wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does a drywall installer actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Drywall Installer Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
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