How much does a drywall installer make in Arizona?
In Arizona, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $25.27 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.18 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.27
$24.18
$30.58
$5.31 less an hour
$52,562
By the hour, the week and the year in Arizona
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.27 an hour comes to $1,010.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,562 a year, and the median of $24.18 to $50,294 a year.
In Arizona, the average is $1.09 above the median (4.5%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $24.18 an hour or less.
How does Arizona compare?
The average in Arizona is $5.31 below the national average of $30.58 (17.4% less), about $11,045 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Arizona ranks 31 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Arizona and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Arizona ranks 6 of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Colorado, $29.78, and the lowest Wyoming, $22.51.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $29.78 | $29.70 | +$4.51 |
| Montana | $28.81 | $28.92 | +$3.54 |
| Nevada | $28.58 | $25.13 | +$3.31 |
| New Mexico | $27.47 | $25.91 | +$2.20 |
| Utah | $25.35 | $24.53 | +$0.08 |
| Arizona | $25.27 | $24.18 | |
| Idaho | $23.19 | $21.05 | -$2.08 |
| Wyoming | $22.51 | $21.15 | -$2.76 |
This trade and the others in Arizona
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Arizona. Among them, the average runs from $17.67 (Cleaning) to $28.62 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $28.62 | $28.32 | +$3.35 |
| Drywall | $25.27 | $24.18 | |
| Painting | $25.23 | $23.20 | -$0.04 |
| Landscaping | $19.98 | $18.71 | -$5.29 |
| Cleaning | $17.67 | $17.13 | -$7.60 |
Against the minimum wage in Arizona
The minimum wage in Arizona is $15.15 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $24.18, is $9.03 above it, 59.6% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,512 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 Arizona, $24.18 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $193.44 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $567.27; 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.