All careersSkilled trades

Drywall Installer

$58,140
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Measure, cut, and hang drywall panels, then tape and finish seams for painting.

Where you work

Construction sites and building interiors.

The hours

Full-time, with some overtime on deadlines

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$58,140
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~7,700
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+4%
About average
Working in the U.S.
103,100
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

No formal credential

Training path: On-the-job training, paid.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Measuring and cuttingFinishingTool handlingPhysical stamina

The honest take

A hands-on trade with no formal schooling needed and steady construction demand.

Standard Occupational Classification 47-2081. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.