How Much Does a Drywall Installer Make? (2024)
Construction · SOC Code 47-2081 · 3-year apprenticeship
The average drywall installer earns $58,184 per year ($28/hour) as of 2024, according to BLS data. Yearly income ranges from $34,890 to $80,500 depending on city, with entry-level workers earning about $58,030 and top earners making $131,860+.
Yes — top-decile drywall installers clear $100K in 7 of 30 metros
The 90th-percentile drywall installer in San Francisco, CA earns $131,860 per year ($63/hour). Reaching that tier typically takes journeyman-to-master progression plus union membership, specialization, or running a small contracting business. Median drywall installer pay nationally is $58,184 — the $100K mark is the high-earner ceiling, not the middle.
National Salary Range
Drywall Installer salaries range from $34,890 to $80,500 median across cities, depending on location, union membership, and experience level.
Drywall Installer Salary by City
| City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL-Adjusted | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $80,500 | $58,030 – $131,860 | $42,368 | F | 2,920 |
| Seattle, WA | $77,030 | $53,410 – $113,380 | $51,698 | D | 2,390 |
| Boston, MA | $71,400 | $48,540 – $80,550 | $46,974 | D | 500 |
| Chicago, IL | $69,810 | $40,730 – $110,670 | $65,243 | D | 590 |
| New York, NY | $65,840 | $32,610 – $112,040 | $35,209 | F | 2,160 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $65,250 | $50,710 – $112,780 | $61,557 | D | 390 |
| Portland, OR | $64,870 | $32,960 – $103,290 | $49,900 | D | 1,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $64,170 | $45,100 – $118,150 | $38,657 | F | 7,690 |
| Columbus, OH | $63,530 | $38,640 – $73,240 | $68,312 | D | 380 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $63,420 | $44,810 – $73,070 | $55,148 | D | 970 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $62,850 | $39,310 – $68,160 | $69,066 | D | 180 |
| St. Louis, MO | $61,050 | $45,610 – $93,470 | $67,833 | D | 240 |
| Denver, CO | $60,860 | $47,510 – $77,360 | $47,547 | D | 1,080 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $59,600 | $45,610 – $72,170 | $64,783 | D | 410 |
| Kansas City, MO | $58,300 | $42,960 – $89,660 | $62,021 | D | 310 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $58,240 | $37,600 – $83,130 | $60,667 | D | 530 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $56,680 | $36,230 – $68,630 | $54,500 | D | 780 |
| Detroit, MI | $56,330 | $35,120 – $79,180 | $63,292 | D | 270 |
| Atlanta, GA | $56,320 | $37,250 – $76,080 | $53,132 | D | 670 |
| Dallas, TX | $51,330 | $36,330 – $60,850 | $50,324 | D | 2,190 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $51,290 | $40,330 – $82,850 | $49,317 | D | 2,070 |
| Houston, TX | $51,090 | $37,370 – $61,070 | $53,219 | D | 1,580 |
| Raleigh, NC | $50,850 | $31,490 – $73,600 | $50,850 | D | 460 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $49,010 | $36,660 – $66,330 | $47,583 | D | 2,480 |
| Charlotte, NC | $48,900 | $31,810 – $74,310 | $49,898 | D | 460 |
| San Antonio, TX | $48,350 | $34,460 – $58,300 | $53,722 | D | 410 |
| Miami, FL | $48,310 | $34,210 – $59,020 | $39,598 | F | 1,000 |
| Tampa, FL | $47,810 | $28,660 – $56,240 | $47,337 | D | 590 |
| Nashville, TN | $47,640 | $36,380 – $63,320 | $46,252 | F | 420 |
| New Orleans, LA | $34,890 | $28,150 – $56,170 | $36,726 | F | 70 |
About Drywall Installer Pay
Drywall Installers earn a national median salary of $58,184 based on 2024 BLS occupational wage data. The highest-paying city for this trade is San Francisco at $80,500 median, while New Orleans offers the lowest at $34,890.
Becoming a drywall installer typically requires a 3-year apprenticeship program. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) can expect around $58,030, while master-level tradespeople (90th percentile) earn $131,860 or more. With -2% wage growth over the past 5 years, this trade is growing at a steady pace.
See how this compares to other trades on our highest paying trades ranking, or browse the best cities for trade workers.
Thinking about becoming a drywall installer?
Step-by-step path: 3-year apprenticeship, certifications, state licensing, and apprentice-to-master pay timeline.
Related Construction Trades
Frequently Asked Questions
The average drywall installer salary is $58,184 per year ($28/hour) based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Average yearly income ranges from $34,890 to $80,500 depending on city, experience, and union status.
Drywall Installers earn an average hourly wage of $28/hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. Entry-level (10th percentile) hourly pay is about $28/hour, while top earners (90th percentile) make $63/hour or more.
San Francisco offers the highest median pay for drywall installers at $80,500. However, cost of living matters, the COL-adjusted pay may tell a different story. Check our city-by-city breakdown above.
With a Trade Pay Score of D and -2% wage growth over 5 years, drywall installer offers steady career prospects. There are approximately 35,190 jobs nationwide across 30 metro areas.
Becoming a drywall installer typically requires a 3-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Entry-level pay starts around $58,030 (10th percentile).
Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Trade Pay Scores are a composite of median wage vs. metro income, wage growth, job demand, and COL-adjusted pay.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. skilled-trade wage data dataset. The detail above comes directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. trades, cities, and states.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.