Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Also called: Acoustical Ceiling Installer, Acoustical Consultant, Acoustical Installer, Acoustical Specialist, Ceiling Installer, Drywall Application Specialist, Drywall Applicator, Drywall Boardhanger
Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings.
What drywall and ceiling tile installers do
Typical tasks
- 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 metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
- Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
- Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.
- Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.
- Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.
- Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary
The median annual wage for drywall and ceiling tile installers is $58,930 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $38,460 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $102,010. The mean annual wage is $63,600.
The mean hourly wage of $30.00 is 4.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $58,930 → in 3 years $64,800 → in 5 years $69,100 → in 10 years $80,900 (10-year range $69,600–$94,000). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers United States | 内装工 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $58,930 | ¥4.67M ≈ $29,690 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $80,900 | ¥6.53M |
| Outlook score | 56 | 64 |
| AI replacement risk | 10% Very low | 18% Very low |
| Workers | 83K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become drywall and ceiling tile installers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as drywall and ceiling tile installers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.