How much does a drywall installer make in Florida?
In Florida, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.51 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.54 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.51
$23.54
$30.58
$7.07 less an hour
$48,901
By the hour, the week and the year in Florida
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.51 an hour comes to $940.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,901 a year, and the median of $23.54 to $48,963 a year.
In Florida, the average is $0.03 below the median (0.1%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $23.54 an hour or more.
How does Florida compare?
The average in Florida is $7.07 below the national average of $30.58 (23.1% less), about $14,706 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Florida ranks 37 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Florida and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Florida ranks 5 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Georgia, $27.53, and the lowest North Carolina, $21.66.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $27.53 | $28.01 | +$4.02 |
| Virginia | $26.59 | $26.84 | +$3.08 |
| Maryland | $26.50 | $26.29 | +$2.99 |
| Delaware | $24.45 | $24.12 | +$0.94 |
| Florida | $23.51 | $23.54 | |
| South Carolina | $23.28 | $21.80 | -$0.23 |
| North Carolina | $21.66 | $21.67 | -$1.85 |
This trade and the others in Florida
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Florida. Among them, the average runs from $16.78 (Cleaning) to $25.26 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.26 | $23.40 | +$1.75 |
| Drywall | $23.51 | $23.54 | |
| Painting | $23.29 | $22.85 | -$0.22 |
| Landscaping | $18.80 | $17.84 | -$4.71 |
| Cleaning | $16.78 | $16.28 | -$6.73 |
Against the minimum wage in Florida
The minimum wage in Florida is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $23.54, is $8.54 above it, 56.9% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,200 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 Florida, $23.54 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $188.32 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $560.80; 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.