SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings. Apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. Materials may be of decorative quality. Includes lathers who fasten wooden, metal, or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings to provide support base for plaster, fireproofing, or acoustical material. Excludes “Carpenters” (47-2031), “Carpet Installers” (47-2041), and “Tile and Stone Setters” (47-2044).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-2081.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $38,460 | $3,205 | $740 | $18.49 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $47,440 | $3,953 | $912 | $22.81 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $58,930 | $4,911 | $1,133 | $28.33 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $74,230 | $6,186 | $1,428 | $35.69 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $102,010 | $8,501 | $1,962 | $49.04 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers is $58,930, which is 16% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 24 by median pay. With 83,080 jobs, it makes up about 5.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($104,830), New Jersey ($75,080) and Alaska ($73,690). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($28,420), Mississippi ($37,310) and Kansas ($39,890). The most jobs were in California (27,280), Florida (6,000) and Texas (5,760). The occupation is most concentrated in Nevada, where its share of all jobs is 3.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 800 | $104,830 | $96,460 | $50.40 |
| New Jersey | 1,340 | $75,080 | $81,280 | $36.09 |
| Alaska | 100 | $73,690 | $68,130 | $35.43 |
| Oregon | 1,680 | $73,530 | $75,770 | $35.35 |
| Washington | 2,670 | $73,130 | $80,450 | $35.16 |
| Massachusetts | 590 | $69,500 | $68,220 | $33.42 |
| California | 27,280 | $65,880 | $74,680 | $31.67 |
| Illinois | 740 | $63,180 | $72,690 | $30.38 |
| Missouri | 550 | $62,580 | $67,200 | $30.09 |
| New Hampshire | 370 | $61,960 | $67,190 | $29.79 |
| Colorado | 1,560 | $61,780 | $61,940 | $29.70 |
| Ohio | 1,680 | $61,420 | $61,060 | $29.53 |
| Minnesota | 1,050 | $61,290 | $65,600 | $29.46 |
| New York | 2,840 | $61,280 | $68,930 | $29.46 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,690 | $61,160 | $61,980 | $29.40 |
| Connecticut | 300 | $60,480 | $61,000 | $29.08 |
| Montana | 170 | $60,140 | $59,910 | $28.92 |
| Maine | 150 | $60,080 | $59,170 | $28.89 |
| Wisconsin | 1,140 | $59,970 | $60,020 | $28.83 |
| Vermont | 90 | $59,820 | $57,080 | $28.76 |
| Michigan | 1,050 | $58,440 | $58,520 | $28.10 |
| Georgia | 690 | $58,260 | $57,250 | $28.01 |
| Virginia | 2,480 | $55,840 | $55,310 | $26.84 |
| Maryland | 1,470 | $54,680 | $55,130 | $26.29 |
| New Mexico | 580 | $53,900 | $57,140 | $25.91 |
| Nevada | 2,980 | $52,280 | $59,440 | $25.13 |
| Iowa | 290 | $51,030 | $53,230 | $24.53 |
| Utah | 2,610 | $51,020 | $52,720 | $24.53 |
| Arizona | 2,590 | $50,290 | $52,560 | $24.18 |
| Delaware | 350 | $50,170 | $50,860 | $24.12 |
| Indiana | 680 | $49,810 | $54,380 | $23.95 |
| Florida | 6,000 | $48,970 | $48,900 | $23.54 |
| South Dakota | 360 | $48,850 | $50,750 | $23.49 |
| Nebraska | 770 | $48,620 | $51,260 | $23.38 |
| Kentucky | 490 | $48,340 | $48,100 | $23.24 |
| Alabama | 650 | $48,000 | $47,910 | $23.08 |
| Texas | 5,760 | $47,590 | $49,040 | $22.88 |
| Tennessee | 1,150 | $47,510 | $49,710 | $22.84 |
| Louisiana | 310 | $47,420 | $48,340 | $22.80 |
| Rhode Island | 440 | $47,110 | $57,360 | $22.65 |
| Oklahoma | 280 | $46,080 | $46,120 | $22.15 |
| South Carolina | 340 | $45,340 | $48,410 | $21.80 |
| North Dakota | 130 | $45,110 | $46,870 | $21.69 |
| North Carolina | 1,520 | $45,080 | $45,060 | $21.67 |
| Arkansas | 240 | $44,550 | $43,410 | $21.42 |
| Wyoming | 140 | $43,990 | $46,820 | $21.15 |
| Idaho | 920 | $43,790 | $48,240 | $21.05 |
| Kansas | 650 | $39,890 | $45,520 | $19.18 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $37,310 | $39,240 | $17.94 |
| Puerto Rico | 320 | $28,420 | $32,310 | $13.66 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas$60,190 a year
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850 a year
- Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers$58,970 a year
- Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas$58,620 a year
- Insulation Workers, Mechanical$58,340 a year
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas$58,160 a year
Common questions
How much do Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $58,930 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,460 and the highest-paid 10% more than $102,010.
How many people work as Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?
About 83,080 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.