Drywall work is one of the most in-demand skilled trades in American construction, and one of the least understood when it comes to real pay data. Workers with the same job title earn vastly different wages depending on where they work, what they specialize in, and whether they're employed or running their own operation. Most salary guides flatten that into one number. That number doesn't tell you much.
At FlexCrew, we staff skilled trades workers across construction markets in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and other active states. We see the real wage picture daily, what employers pay, what workers accept, and where the gaps are. This blog answers exactly how much drywallers make in 2026, broken down by hour, day, year, state, and role, using data directly from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Key Takeaways
The national median pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers is $58,930 per year ($28.74/hr), per BLS OEWS May 2025 data, published August 2026.
Drywall tapers, the finishing specialists, earn a median of $68,270/year, with the top 10% clearing over $107,110.
How much drywallers make varies sharply by state, union status, experience level, and whether the work is residential, commercial, or independent.
In FlexCrew's primary markets, Texas, Florida, and Georgia, employed installers average $27,000–$35,000/year, though skilled finishers and self-employed contractors earn considerably more.
The BLS projects approximately 7,600 annual job openings for this trade through 2035, a stable market, not a shrinking one.
Commercial drywall workers earn a median of $67,180/year, nearly $8,300 more annually than those working residential projects.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
Most people asking how much drywallers make expect a single clean answer. The reality is a range, and that range is wide for a reason.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook (updated August 2026) reports a median annual wage of $58,930 for drywall and ceiling tile installers, based on May 2025 OEWS survey data. That's $28.74 per hour. The lowest 10% of earners brought in around $38,460. The highest 10% cleared more than $102,010. That $63,000+ spread reflects how much experience, specialty, geography, and work type actually matter in this trade.
Tapers, the workers who finish drywall for painting, earn meaningfully more. BLS data puts their median at $68,270 per year, with the lowest 10% earning around $43,670 and the top 10% surpassing $107,110. Tapers working in nonresidential building construction report a median of $68,140/year; those working for dedicated drywall contractors earn a median of $70,830.
For context, the median annual wage across all U.S. occupations in May 2025 was $50,980, according to BLS. Drywall installers at the median already out-earn the national average by roughly $8,000. Finishers beat it by more than $17,000.
The CareerOneStop wage tool, maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor, confirms similar ranges and lets workers look up local pay rates by ZIP code, a useful benchmark before negotiating.
How Much Do Drywallers Make Per Hour?
Hourly pay is where most workers think first. Here is how the numbers stack up by experience level, grounded in BLS OEWS data:
Source:BLS OEWS May 2025;BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 2026.
Union membership is one of the biggest wage drivers in the trade. Journeyman-level union drywallers in states like California, Minnesota, and Washington regularly earn $39–$60+ per hour, plus overtime and benefits. North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) represents drywall finishers and tapers through the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, workers in union programs consistently earn 40–70% more than their non-union counterparts in the same markets.
The BLS also draws a sharp line by industry type. Workers in nonresidential building construction, commercial job sites earn a median of $67,180/year. Those working for drywall and insulation contractors on residential projects earn $58,850. That $8,330 annual gap is consistent and well-documented. If you're thinking about moving from residential to commercial drywall work, this data makes the case clearly.
How Much Do Drywallers Make Per Day, Per Week, and Per Year?
Understanding drywaller income across time frames helps workers and employers set realistic expectations. The table below applies BLS median hourly rates to standard workday and workweek schedules.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 median wages; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, August 2026. Daily and weekly figures derived from BLS median hourly rates.
The self-employed column carries the widest variance because income there reflects operational efficiency as much as skill. Contractors who stagger coating jobs, doing first coats in the morning across multiple homes, returning for second coats in the afternoon, multiply their earning rate without adding labor costs. Per-trip billing on multi-coat patch work is one of the most efficient income structures in the residential trades.
How Much Do Drywall Finishers Make?
Finishing is a separate and better-compensated specialty within the drywall trade. A drywall finisher, also called a taper, applies tape, joint compound, and multiple sealing coats to produce a surface ready for paint. Understanding the levels of drywall finish matters here: a Level 5 finish on a high-end commercial build requires significantly more skill than a Level 3 residential coat, and the market prices that differ accordingly.
How much do drywall finishers make per hour? The BLS puts the median hourly rate for tapers at approximately $32.82/hr (derived from the $68,270 annual median). Top earners in commercial settings clear $51/hr or more. In union markets, taper wages are negotiated separately from installers and typically come out higher still.
How much do drywall finishers make per year? The BLS national median is $68,270. The lowest 10% earn around $43,670. The highest 10% earn over $107,110. For a skilled finisher working commercial projects in an active metro market, clearing $80,000–$100,000 annually is a realistic target, not an outlier.
Workers in Texas, Florida, or Georgia looking to increase earnings in the trade should prioritize finishing skills. Skilled trades jobs in construction, especially for experienced finishers, are consistently available in Houston, Atlanta, and Tampa, and they pay measurably above the state installer average.
How Much Do Drywall Contractors Make?
Self-employed drywall contractors price jobs differently from hourly employees. Common structures include per-repair patch pricing, per-sheet rates for new installs, and square-footage pricing for full basement or commercial taping work. A full breakdown of how much drywallers charge and what drywall installation costs by project type is covered in separate FlexCrew guides, what matters here is understanding how that pricing translates into annual income.
Typical project pricing in the current market:
Patch repairs: $150–$400+ per repair, including multiple trip charges for each coat
New installation, finished board: $80–$100 per board installed and finished
Basement taping, 1,200–1,500 sq ft: $5,000–$7,000 for taping, not including materials
Commercial, per square foot: $0.50–$1.00/sq ft for tape and finish
A productive solo contractor running patch work in a single metro area can net $1,000–$2,000 in a well-organized weekend day. A contractor handling a well-managed basement taping job over two to three weeks can clear $6,000–$7,000 on that single project. Annually, a high-output self-employed contractor in an active market realistically earns $80,000–$130,000+, with multi-crew operations scaling well beyond that.
State-by-State Drywaller Pay: Where Wages Are Highest
Geography is one of the most powerful wage drivers in this trade. The table below uses BLS OEWS May 2025 data, the most current state-level figures available as of 2026.
Source:BLS OEWS May 2025 state-level occupational data.
FlexCrew's core markets, Texas, Florida, and Georgia, sit in the lower national tier by average pay. But raw annual figures don't tell the full story. Cost of living across these three states is significantly lower than coastal or upper Midwest markets, construction volume is high and growing fast, and skilled workers who specialize or operate independently consistently earn well above state averages.
In metro markets like Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Miami, and Tampa, active contractors and experienced finishers regularly surpass the state median by a meaningful margin. For a broader view of how drywall pay compares to other construction trades, the FlexCrew guide on construction worker earnings provides a useful cross-trade benchmark.
What Drives Drywaller Pay Up
The wage gap between the lowest and highest earners in this trade comes down to four consistent factors.
Specialty matters more than tenure: Tapers out-earn standard installers by $9,340/year at the national median. Workers who can match textures, handle acoustical ceilings, or finish custom homes operate in a different tier of demand than generalist hangers. The difference between skilled and general construction labor is measured directly in pay rates, this trade is one of the clearest examples.
Commercial work pays more than residential: BLS data shows that drywallers in nonresidential building construction earn a median of $67,180/year, nearly $8,300 more annually than those on residential projects. Commercial work also tends to run more consistently and is more often union-affiliated.
Union membership is a wage multiplier: According to Apprenticeship.gov, registered apprenticeship programs in the drywall and finishing trades provide structured pathways into union membership. Journeymen in high-wage states earn 40–70% more than non-union peers, plus overtime, health benefits, and retirement contributions. The tradeoff is reduced day-to-day scheduling flexibility.
Self-employment raises the ceiling: Moving from employee to contractor is where income can double. It requires pricing discipline, client management, and route planning, but the upper limit is determined by operational capacity rather than employer wage bands. Workers considering this path should look at how high-paying trade careers in construction are built, because finishing and contracting are consistently near the top of that list.
Get Found, Get Hired Faster
Drywall workers in Texas, Florida, and Georgia who want access to better-paying jobs need more than skill, they need to be findable. FlexCrew's AI-powered resume builder helps tradespeople build a clean, professional profile that highlights their experience, specialties, and certifications in the language construction employers actually search for.
It takes minutes and positions you to pursue higher-paying work from the start. You can also browse open skilled trades jobs and careers directly on the platform and apply to roles matched to your experience level.
The Bottom Line
How much do drywallers make in 2026? Nationally, the answer starts at $58,930/year for installers and $68,270/year for finishers, but those medians don't capture the full range. Entry-level workers in states like Texas and Florida start around $27,000–$35,000. Experienced finishers and union journeymen clear $80,000–$107,000+. Self-employed contractors running efficient operations in active markets earn $80,000–$130,000+ per year.
The trade rewards skill, specialty, and smart business decisions. Construction demand in Texas, Florida, and Georgia is strong, consistent, and growing. Workers who build finishing skills, pursue union membership, or make the move to self-employment have a documented path to substantially higher earnings. And for those still exploring where drywall fits among other construction careers, the FlexCrew guide to high-paying construction trade jobs puts the whole picture in one place.
Whether you are staffing a job site or building your career in the trade, FlexCrew is here to help. Visit FlexCrew to connect with construction staffing support or explore job placement options in your area.