How much does a drywall installer make in Alabama?
In Alabama, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.03 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.08 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.03
$23.08
$30.58
$7.55 less an hour
$47,902
By the hour, the week and the year in Alabama
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.03 an hour comes to $921.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $47,902 a year, and the median of $23.08 to $48,006 a year.
In Alabama, the average is $0.05 below the median (0.2%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $23.08 an hour or more.
How does Alabama compare?
The average in Alabama is $7.55 below the national average of $30.58 (24.7% less), about $15,704 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Alabama ranks 42 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Alabama and its Census division, East South Central
By average wage, Alabama ranks 3 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Tennessee, $23.90, and the lowest Mississippi, $18.86.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $23.90 | $22.84 | +$0.87 |
| Kentucky | $23.13 | $23.24 | +$0.10 |
| Alabama | $23.03 | $23.08 | |
| Mississippi | $18.86 | $17.94 | -$4.17 |
This trade and the others in Alabama
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Alabama. Among them, the average runs from $13.40 (Cleaning) to $23.03 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $23.03 | $23.08 | |
| Concrete | $21.92 | $21.50 | -$1.11 |
| Painting | $21.50 | $21.12 | -$1.53 |
| Landscaping | $17.36 | $17.13 | -$5.67 |
| Cleaning | $13.40 | $13.21 | -$9.63 |
Against the minimum wage in Alabama
In Alabama most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $23.08, is $15.83 above it, 3.2 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $15,080 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in Alabama, $23.08 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $184.64 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $556.14; at the national median, $28.33, the same job comes to $609.27. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.