Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (SOC 47-2081) earn a median $58,930 a year ($28.33 an hour) in the United States, with 83,080 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What drywall and ceiling tile installers do
Drywall and ceiling tile installers apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings and interior walls, and mount acoustical tiles, blocks, strips or sheets of shock-absorbing material that reduce or reflect sound; the materials may be decorative. They read blueprints or specifications to decide on installation methods and materials, measure and mark the surfaces, and cut openings in panels or tiles for outlets, windows, vents and plumbing fixtures with keyhole saws or other cutting tools. Wallboard is fitted and fastened to wood or metal framing with glue, nails or screws. Metal framing and decorative trim for windows, doorways and vents may be assembled first, and furrings, mountings and masonry surfaces are checked for plumb and level with spirit or water levels. Lathers who fasten wood, metal or rockboard lath as a base for plaster, fireproofing or acoustical material are included. Carpenters, carpet installers and tile and stone setters are classified separately, and the joint sealing that follows hanging belongs to tapers (47-2082).
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report that no high school diploma is required, and training happens on the job.
Also called: Acoustical Carpenter, Acoustical Ceiling Installer, Acoustical Consultant, Acoustical Installer, Acoustical Specialist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.49 | $22.81 | $28.33 | $35.69 | $49.04 | $30.58 | 83,080 |
| Annual | $38,460 | $47,440 | $58,930 | $74,230 | $102,010 | $63,600 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where drywall and ceiling tile installers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $24.15 | $35.36 | $50.40 | $55.47 | $57.53 | $46.38 | 800 | 1.28 | 2.40 |
| Annual | $50,230 | $73,550 | $104,830 | $115,380 | $119,660 | $96,460 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $18.26 | $25.81 | $36.09 | $55.42 | $56.83 | $39.08 | 1,340 | 0.31 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $37,990 | $53,680 | $75,080 | $115,270 | $118,200 | $81,280 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $22.50 | $29.23 | $35.43 | $36.47 | $42.45 | $32.75 | 100 | 0.30 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $46,800 | $60,800 | $73,690 | $75,850 | $88,300 | $68,130 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $17.53 | $24.36 | $35.35 | $50.94 | $55.13 | $36.43 | 1,680 | 0.86 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $36,460 | $50,670 | $73,530 | $105,950 | $114,670 | $75,770 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.21 | $30.15 | $35.16 | $48.45 | $61.52 | $38.68 | 2,670 | 0.75 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $50,360 | $62,720 | $73,130 | $100,780 | $127,970 | $80,450 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $22.14 | $26.83 | $31.67 | $40.95 | $57.81 | $35.91 | 27,280 | 1.50 | 2.80 |
| Annual | $46,050 | $55,810 | $65,880 | $85,180 | $120,240 | $74,680 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $16.09 | $18.87 | $23.54 | $26.31 | $29.58 | $23.51 | 6,000 | 0.60 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $33,460 | $39,260 | $48,970 | $54,730 | $61,520 | $48,900 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.95 | $19.28 | $22.88 | $28.09 | $29.34 | $23.58 | 5,760 | 0.41 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $35,260 | $40,100 | $47,590 | $58,430 | $61,030 | $49,040 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $19.92 | $22.47 | $25.13 | $30.29 | $48.94 | $28.58 | 2,980 | 1.92 | 3.60 |
| Annual | $41,430 | $46,730 | $52,280 | $63,000 | $101,780 | $59,440 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $22.53 | $25.22 | $29.46 | $36.34 | $56.95 | $33.14 | 2,840 | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $46,860 | $52,460 | $61,280 | $75,580 | $118,450 | $68,930 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $24.15 | $37.13 | $50.92 | $55.47 | $57.53 | $46.64 | 710 | 1.59 | 2.97 |
| Annual | $50,230 | $77,230 | $105,910 | $115,380 | $119,660 | $97,000 | ||||
| Napa, CA | Hourly | $23.98 | $32.20 | $40.58 | $47.45 | $62.42 | $41.33 | 50 | 0.58 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $49,880 | $66,980 | $84,410 | $98,690 | $129,830 | $85,960 | ||||
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | Hourly | $25.80 | $36.58 | $40.00 | $56.15 | $68.72 | $46.33 | 60 | 0.83 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $53,650 | $76,090 | $83,190 | $116,800 | $142,940 | $96,360 | ||||
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | Hourly | $27.88 | $31.49 | $39.74 | $61.53 | $61.53 | $44.58 | 700 | 3.39 | 6.34 |
| Annual | $57,990 | $65,500 | $82,650 | $127,990 | $127,990 | $92,730 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.89 | $32.53 | $39.50 | $56.67 | $64.84 | $43.79 | 2,510 | 1.06 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $58,010 | $67,670 | $82,160 | $117,870 | $134,880 | $91,080 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.05 | $23.40 | $30.19 | $38.77 | $57.88 | $34.64 | 7,710 | 1.23 | 2.30 |
| Annual | $45,870 | $48,670 | $62,800 | $80,640 | $120,390 | $72,050 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $18.80 | $22.89 | $29.53 | $36.18 | $48.86 | $30.99 | 3,640 | 2.12 | 3.97 |
| Annual | $39,110 | $47,620 | $61,420 | $75,250 | $101,630 | $64,460 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $23.27 | $28.37 | $36.68 | $44.89 | $54.86 | $37.03 | 3,220 | 2.09 | 3.91 |
| Annual | $48,410 | $59,000 | $76,290 | $93,360 | $114,110 | $77,030 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $24.20 | $27.80 | $34.29 | $51.83 | $56.95 | $37.81 | 2,560 | 0.27 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $50,340 | $57,820 | $71,320 | $107,810 | $118,460 | $78,640 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $27.89 | $32.53 | $39.50 | $56.67 | $64.84 | $43.79 | 2,510 | 1.06 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $58,010 | $67,670 | $82,160 | $117,870 | $134,880 | $91,080 | ||||
Top industries employing drywall and ceiling tile installers
Building Finishing Contractors employ 79.3% of drywall and ceiling tile installers nationally (65,850 jobs) at a median $58,810 a year ($28.27 an hour), followed by Nonresidential Building Construction (8.9%) and Residential Building Construction (5.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 65,850 | 79.3% | $58,810 | $28.27 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 7,430 | 8.9% | $67,180 | $32.30 |
| Residential Building Construction NAICS 236100 | 4,410 | 5.3% | $57,210 | $27.51 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors NAICS 238100 | 1,920 | 2.3% | $55,280 | $26.58 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 1,330 | 1.6% | $38,560 | $18.54 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (83,080). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,040 for drywall and ceiling tile installers in May 2021 and $58,930 in May 2025, with employment of 97,070 and 83,080.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,040 | $23.09 | 97,070 |
| May 2022 | $50,440 | $24.25 | 91,590 |
| May 2023 | $55,700 | $26.78 | 90,860 |
| May 2024 | $58,140 | $27.95 | 82,900 |
| May 2025 | $58,930 | $28.33 | 83,080 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
49 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii profile | $50.40 | $104,830 | $50,230 | $119,660 | 800 | 1.28 | 2.40 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $36.09 | $75,080 | $37,990 | $118,200 | 1,340 | 0.31 | 0.58 |
| 3 | Alaska profile | $35.43 | $73,690 | $46,800 | $88,300 | 100 | 0.30 | 0.56 |
| 4 | Oregon profile | $35.35 | $73,530 | $36,460 | $114,670 | 1,680 | 0.86 | 1.60 |
| 5 | Washington profile | $35.16 | $73,130 | $50,360 | $127,970 | 2,670 | 0.75 | 1.41 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | $33.42 | $69,500 | $34,220 | $93,810 | 590 | 0.16 | 0.31 |
| 7 | California profile | $31.67 | $65,880 | $46,050 | $120,240 | 27,280 | 1.50 | 2.80 |
| 8 | Illinois profile | $30.38 | $63,180 | $41,870 | $110,620 | 740 | 0.12 | 0.23 |
| 9 | Missouri profile | $30.09 | $62,580 | $46,310 | $91,780 | 550 | 0.19 | 0.35 |
| 10 | New Hampshire profile | $29.79 | $61,960 | $44,180 | $102,130 | 370 | 0.54 | 1.02 |
| 11 | Colorado profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $44,520 | $79,460 | 1,560 | 0.54 | 1.01 |
| 12 | Ohio profile | $29.53 | $61,420 | $42,410 | $74,400 | 1,680 | 0.30 | 0.57 |
| 13 | Minnesota profile | $29.46 | $61,290 | $45,570 | $91,520 | 1,050 | 0.36 | 0.67 |
| 14 | New York profile | $29.46 | $61,280 | $46,860 | $118,450 | 2,840 | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.40 | $61,160 | $39,410 | $77,980 | 1,690 | 0.28 | 0.52 |
| 16 | Connecticut profile | $29.08 | $60,480 | $45,690 | $82,480 | 300 | 0.18 | 0.33 |
| 17 | Montana profile | $28.92 | $60,140 | $45,870 | $79,240 | 170 | 0.34 | 0.63 |
| 18 | Maine profile | $28.89 | $60,080 | $49,070 | $71,220 | 150 | 0.23 | 0.43 |
| 19 | Wisconsin profile | $28.83 | $59,970 | $38,490 | $85,340 | 1,140 | 0.39 | 0.72 |
| 20 | Vermont profile | $28.76 | $59,820 | $47,590 | $71,280 | 90 | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $28.10 | $58,440 | $42,640 | $76,960 | 1,050 | 0.24 | 0.45 |
| 22 | Georgia profile | $28.01 | $58,260 | $34,180 | $78,990 | 690 | 0.14 | 0.27 |
| 23 | Virginia profile | $26.84 | $55,840 | $39,040 | $71,330 | 2,480 | 0.60 | 1.13 |
| 24 | Maryland profile | $26.29 | $54,680 | $39,400 | $73,230 | 1,470 | 0.53 | 1.00 |
| 25 | New Mexico profile | $25.91 | $53,900 | $37,440 | $77,150 | 580 | 0.66 | 1.24 |
| 26 | Nevada profile | $25.13 | $52,280 | $41,430 | $101,780 | 2,980 | 1.92 | 3.60 |
| 27 | Iowa profile | $24.53 | $51,030 | $36,750 | $67,650 | 290 | 0.19 | 0.35 |
| 28 | Utah profile | $24.53 | $51,020 | $37,160 | $68,920 | 2,610 | 1.50 | 2.81 |
| 29 | Arizona profile | $24.18 | $50,290 | $37,470 | $66,750 | 2,590 | 0.80 | 1.49 |
| 30 | Delaware profile | $24.12 | $50,170 | $35,720 | $62,390 | 350 | 0.72 | 1.34 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $23.95 | $49,810 | $43,730 | $69,850 | 680 | 0.21 | 0.40 |
| 32 | Florida profile | $23.54 | $48,970 | $33,460 | $61,520 | 6,000 | 0.60 | 1.13 |
| 33 | South Dakota profile | $23.49 | $48,850 | $42,400 | $59,380 | 360 | 0.80 | 1.49 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | $23.38 | $48,620 | $37,140 | $62,580 | 770 | 0.75 | 1.41 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | $23.24 | $48,340 | $23,020 | $68,760 | 490 | 0.24 | 0.46 |
| 36 | Alabama profile | $23.08 | $48,000 | $37,280 | $60,890 | 650 | 0.31 | 0.58 |
| 37 | Texas profile | $22.88 | $47,590 | $35,260 | $61,030 | 5,760 | 0.41 | 0.77 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | $22.84 | $47,510 | $37,220 | $65,650 | 1,150 | 0.35 | 0.65 |
| 39 | Louisiana profile | $22.80 | $47,420 | $28,310 | $77,740 | 310 | 0.16 | 0.30 |
| 40 | Rhode Island profile | $22.65 | $47,110 | $38,090 | $79,510 | 440 | 0.89 | 1.66 |
| 41 | Oklahoma profile | $22.15 | $46,080 | $41,860 | $49,790 | 280 | 0.17 | 0.31 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $21.80 | $45,340 | $32,340 | $68,600 | 340 | 0.15 | 0.28 |
| 43 | North Dakota profile | $21.69 | $45,110 | $37,340 | $57,510 | 130 | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| 44 | North Carolina profile | $21.67 | $45,080 | $31,420 | $60,180 | 1,520 | 0.31 | 0.58 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $21.42 | $44,550 | $34,520 | $48,800 | 240 | 0.18 | 0.34 |
| 46 | Wyoming profile | $21.15 | $43,990 | $39,470 | $55,470 | 140 | 0.49 | 0.92 |
| 47 | Idaho profile | $21.05 | $43,790 | $29,580 | $64,820 | 920 | 1.07 | 2.00 |
| 48 | Kansas profile | $19.18 | $39,890 | $35,880 | $61,410 | 650 | 0.46 | 0.85 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $17.94 | $37,310 | $28,100 | $52,900 | 110 | 0.09 | 0.17 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2080), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2081 Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2081, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2081.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.