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How Much Does a Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer Make?

A drywall and ceiling tile installer in the US earns a median salary of $58,930 a year, or $28.33 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $63,600, and the middle half earn between $47,440 and $74,230.

Median a year $58,930
Median an hour $28.33
Median a month $4,911
Average a year $63,600

Drywall and ceiling tile installer pay range

What drywall and ceiling tile installers earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $38,460 $18.49
25th $47,440 $22.81
Median (50th) $58,930 $28.33
75th $74,230 $35.69
90th (top 10%) $102,010 $49.04

The median is 16% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 83,080 people work as drywall and ceiling tile installers in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$1,133
Every two weeks
$2,267
Twice a month
$2,455
A month
$4,911

At the median salary, before tax.

Drywall and ceiling tile installer salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays drywall and ceiling tile installers the most, at $96,460 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Hawaii $96,460 $104,830 800 After tax
New Jersey $81,280 $75,080 1,340 After tax
Washington $80,450 $73,130 2,670 After tax
Oregon $75,770 $73,530 1,680 After tax
California $74,680 $65,880 27,280 After tax
Illinois $72,690 $63,180 740 After tax
New York $68,930 $61,280 2,840 After tax
Massachusetts $68,220 $69,500 590 After tax
Alaska $68,130 $73,690 100 After tax
Missouri $67,200 $62,580 550 After tax
New Hampshire $67,190 $61,960 370 After tax
Minnesota $65,600 $61,290 1,050 After tax
Pennsylvania $61,980 $61,160 1,690 After tax
Colorado $61,940 $61,780 1,560 After tax
Ohio $61,060 $61,420 1,680 After tax
Connecticut $61,000 $60,480 300 After tax
Wisconsin $60,020 $59,970 1,140 After tax
Montana $59,910 $60,140 170 After tax
Nevada $59,440 $52,280 2,980 After tax
Maine $59,170 $60,080 150 After tax
Michigan $58,520 $58,440 1,050 After tax
Rhode Island $57,360 $47,110 440 After tax
Georgia $57,250 $58,260 690 After tax
New Mexico $57,140 $53,900 580 After tax
Vermont $57,080 $59,820 90 After tax
Virginia $55,310 $55,840 2,480 After tax
Maryland $55,130 $54,680 1,470 After tax
Indiana $54,380 $49,810 680 After tax
Iowa $53,230 $51,030 290 After tax
Utah $52,720 $51,020 2,610 After tax
Arizona $52,560 $50,290 2,590 After tax
Nebraska $51,260 $48,620 770 After tax
Delaware $50,860 $50,170 350 After tax
South Dakota $50,750 $48,850 360 After tax
Tennessee $49,710 $47,510 1,150 After tax
Texas $49,040 $47,590 5,760 After tax
Florida $48,900 $48,970 6,000 After tax
South Carolina $48,410 $45,340 340 After tax
Louisiana $48,340 $47,420 310 After tax
Idaho $48,240 $43,790 920 After tax
Kentucky $48,100 $48,340 490 After tax
Alabama $47,910 $48,000 650 After tax
North Dakota $46,870 $45,110 130 After tax
Wyoming $46,820 $43,990 140 After tax
Oklahoma $46,120 $46,080 280 After tax
Kansas $45,520 $39,890 650 After tax
North Carolina $45,060 $45,080 1,520 After tax
Arkansas $43,410 $44,550 240 After tax
Mississippi $39,240 $37,310 110 After tax
Puerto Rico $32,310 $28,420 320

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other construction and extraction jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers” (SOC 47-2081). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a drywall and ceiling tile installer make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a drywall and ceiling tile installer is $28.33, and the average is $30.58. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $18.49 an hour and the top 10% over $49.04.

How much does a drywall and ceiling tile installer make a month?

At the median salary of $58,930, a drywall and ceiling tile installer earns about $4,911 a month before tax, or $2,267 every two weeks.

Which state pays drywall and ceiling tile installers the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installer, at $96,460 a year. Next are New Jersey and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a drywall and ceiling tile installer?

The lowest-paid 10% of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn less than $38,460 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $47,440. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid drywall and ceiling tile installers make?

The top 10% earn more than $102,010 a year, and the top 25% more than $74,230.