Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 47-2081.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $54,189
- Projected change
- +4.5%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 108.04K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
66.2% of the workforce
Growing to 112.93K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What drywall and ceiling tile installers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- 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.
- Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.
- Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels.
- Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
- Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
- 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.
- Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.
- Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.
- Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.
- Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified.
- Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners.
- Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.
- Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls.
- Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation.
- Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.
- Apply or mount acoustical tile or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings or walls of buildings to reduce reflection of sound or to decorate rooms.
- Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $33,433
- 25th percentile
- $42,532
- 50th percentile
- $54,189
- 75th percentile
- $70,746
- 90th percentile
- $103,703
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $54,189 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+4.5%average or slower
2025108,036 jobs
2035 projected112,934 jobs
4,898 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 66.2%
- Certificate
- 19.3%
- Some college
- 9.7%
- Bachelor's degree
- 4.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Drywall Finishers1,002 postings
- 02Drywall Installers557 postings
- 03Drywall Contractors395 postings
- 04Drywall Mechanics358 postings
- 05Subcontractors318 postings
- 06Drywall Hangers265 postings
- 07Drywall Hangers/Finishers250 postings
- 08Remodelers226 postings
- 09Drywall Foremen178 postings
- 10Drywall Tapers/Finishers141 postings
- 11Drywall Tapers131 postings
- 12Installers126 postings
- 13Craftsmen101 postings
- 14Painters100 postings
- 15Remodeling Specialists85 postings
- 16Skilled Tradesmen85 postings
- 17Remodeling Contractors84 postings
- 18Restaurant Coordinators71 postings
- 19Handymen67 postings
- 20Commercial Drywall Project Managers55 postings
Top employers
- 01GPAC133 postings
- 02Aerotek103 postings
- 03Tradesmen International61 postings
- 04Bath Concepts Independent Dealers60 postings
- 05Precision Walls55 postings
- 06Handyman Connection49 postings
- 07Swinerton Builders35 postings
- 08Orange29 postings
- 09Zintex Remodeling Group29 postings
- 10Bms Cat25 postings
- 11Classet25 postings
- 12Higgins Group22 postings
- 13Great Day Improvements21 postings
- 14Superior Skilled Trades19 postings
- 15Express Employment Professionals17 postings
- 16Rq Construction17 postings
- 17Bath Planet16 postings
- 18Bison Drywall15 postings
- 19Cleveland Construction15 postings
- 20Forks Lath And Plaster15 postings
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