Careers / Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$58,930
United States, 2025
Employment
83,080
United States, 2025
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 47-2081.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- Hang drywall panels on metal frameworks of walls and ceilings in offices, schools, or other large buildings, using lifts or hoists to adjust panel heights, when necessary.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
- Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.
- Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$38,460
25th percentile
$47,440
75th percentile
$74,230
90th percentile
$102,010
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Coordination2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Active Listening2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Operation and Control2.5
- Operations Monitoring2.5
- Social Perceptiveness2.5
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 1 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
1
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $105,910 | 710 | 2025 |
| HI | $104,830 | 800 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $84,410 | 50 | 2025 |
| Kahului, HI | $83,190 | 60 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $82,650 | 700 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $82,160 | 2,510 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $81,100 | 1,100 | 2025 |
| Worcester, MA | $80,280 | 120 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $79,430 | 1,960 | 2025 |
| El Centro, CA | $78,020 | 90 | 2025 |
| San Diego, CA | $76,290 | 3,220 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $75,560 | 1,840 | 2025 |
| NJ | $75,080 | 1,340 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $74,740 | 120 | 2025 |
| AK | $73,690 | 100 | 2025 |
| Salinas, CA | $73,650 | 160 | 2025 |
| OR | $73,530 | 1,680 | 2025 |
| Stockton, CA | $73,520 | 450 | 2025 |
| WA | $73,130 | 2,670 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $71,320 | 2,560 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.