How much does a drywall installer make in Idaho?
In Idaho, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.19 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.05 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.19
$21.05
$30.58
$7.39 less an hour
$48,235
By the hour, the week and the year in Idaho
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.19 an hour comes to $927.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,235 a year, and the median of $21.05 to $43,784 a year.
In Idaho, the average is $2.14 above the median (10.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $21.05 an hour or less.
How does Idaho compare?
The average in Idaho is $7.39 below the national average of $30.58 (24.2% less), about $15,371 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Idaho ranks 40 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Idaho and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Idaho ranks 7 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 Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $29.78 | $29.70 | +$6.59 |
| Montana | $28.81 | $28.92 | +$5.62 |
| Nevada | $28.58 | $25.13 | +$5.39 |
| New Mexico | $27.47 | $25.91 | +$4.28 |
| Utah | $25.35 | $24.53 | +$2.16 |
| Arizona | $25.27 | $24.18 | +$2.08 |
| Idaho | $23.19 | $21.05 | |
| Wyoming | $22.51 | $21.15 | -$0.68 |
This trade and the others in Idaho
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Idaho. Among them, the average runs from $16.94 (Cleaning) to $26.87 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.87 | $27.12 | +$3.68 |
| Drywall | $23.19 | $21.05 | |
| Painting | $21.87 | $21.58 | -$1.32 |
| Landscaping | $20.58 | $20.00 | -$2.61 |
| Cleaning | $16.94 | $16.62 | -$6.25 |
Against the minimum wage in Idaho
In Idaho most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $21.05, is $13.80 above it, 2.9 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 Idaho, $21.05 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $168.40 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $535.60; 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.