How much does a drywall installer make in Indiana?
In Indiana, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $26.15 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.95 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.15
$23.95
$30.58
$4.43 less an hour
$54,392
By the hour, the week and the year in Indiana
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.15 an hour comes to $1,046.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $54,392 a year, and the median of $23.95 to $49,816 a year.
In Indiana, the average is $2.20 above the median (9.2%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $23.95 an hour or less.
How does Indiana compare?
The average in Indiana is $4.43 below the national average of $30.58 (14.5% less), about $9,214 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Indiana ranks 28 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Indiana and its Census division, East North Central
Of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade, Indiana pays the lowest average, $26.15; the next is Michigan with $28.14.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $34.95 | $30.38 | +$8.80 |
| Ohio | $29.36 | $29.53 | +$3.21 |
| Wisconsin | $28.86 | $28.83 | +$2.71 |
| Michigan | $28.14 | $28.10 | +$1.99 |
| Indiana | $26.15 | $23.95 |
This trade and the others in Indiana
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Indiana. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $29.02 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.02 | $29.46 | +$2.87 |
| Drywall | $26.15 | $23.95 | |
| Painting | $25.48 | $24.16 | -$0.67 |
| Landscaping | $19.24 | $18.30 | -$6.91 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.11 | -$10.27 |
Against the minimum wage in Indiana
In Indiana most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $23.95, is $16.70 above it, 3.3 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 Indiana, $23.95 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $191.60 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $564.95; 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.