How much does a drywall installer make in Georgia?
In Georgia, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $27.53 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.01 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.53
$28.01
$30.58
$3.05 less an hour
$57,262
By the hour, the week and the year in Georgia
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.53 an hour comes to $1,101.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $57,262 a year, and the median of $28.01 to $58,261 a year.
In Georgia, the average is $0.48 below the median (1.7%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $28.01 an hour or more.
How does Georgia compare?
The average in Georgia is $3.05 below the national average of $30.58 (10.0% less), about $6,344 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Georgia ranks 23 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Georgia and its Census division, South Atlantic
Of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade, Georgia pays the highest average, $27.53; next comes Virginia with $26.59.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $27.53 | $28.01 | |
| Virginia | $26.59 | $26.84 | -$0.94 |
| Maryland | $26.50 | $26.29 | -$1.03 |
| Delaware | $24.45 | $24.12 | -$3.08 |
| Florida | $23.51 | $23.54 | -$4.02 |
| South Carolina | $23.28 | $21.80 | -$4.25 |
| North Carolina | $21.66 | $21.67 | -$5.87 |
This trade and the others in Georgia
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Georgia. Among them, the average runs from $15.02 (Cleaning) to $27.53 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $27.53 | $28.01 | |
| Painting | $24.30 | $23.24 | -$3.23 |
| Concrete | $23.67 | $22.23 | -$3.86 |
| Landscaping | $18.51 | $18.25 | -$9.02 |
| Cleaning | $15.02 | $14.31 | -$12.51 |
Against the minimum wage in Georgia
In Georgia most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $28.01, is $20.76 above it, 3.9 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 Georgia, $28.01 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $224.08 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $606.04; 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.