How much does a drywall installer make in California?
In California, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $35.91 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $31.67 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$35.91
$31.67
$30.58
$5.33 more an hour
$74,693
By the hour, the week and the year in California
At 40 hours a week, the average of $35.91 an hour comes to $1,436.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $74,693 a year, and the median of $31.67 to $65,874 a year.
In California, the average is $4.24 above the median (13.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $31.67 an hour or less.
How does California compare?
The average in California is $5.33 above the national average of $30.58 (17.4% more), about $11,086 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, California ranks 5 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
California and its Census division, Pacific
By average wage, California ranks 4 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Hawaii, $46.38, and the lowest Alaska, $32.75.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $46.38 | $50.40 | +$10.47 |
| Washington | $38.68 | $35.16 | +$2.77 |
| Oregon | $36.43 | $35.35 | +$0.52 |
| California | $35.91 | $31.67 | |
| Alaska | $32.75 | $35.43 | -$3.16 |
This trade and the others in California
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in California. Among them, the average runs from $22.08 (Cleaning) to $35.91 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $35.91 | $31.67 | |
| Concrete | $34.09 | $30.15 | -$1.82 |
| Painting | $30.03 | $28.38 | -$5.88 |
| Landscaping | $22.80 | $21.90 | -$13.11 |
| Cleaning | $22.08 | $20.51 | -$13.83 |
Against the minimum wage in California
The minimum wage in California is $16.90 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $31.67, is $14.77 above it, 87.4% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $35,152 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 California, $31.67 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $253.36 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $643.08; 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.