How much does a drywall installer make in Iowa?
In Iowa, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $25.59 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.53 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.59
$24.53
$30.58
$4.99 less an hour
$53,227
By the hour, the week and the year in Iowa
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.59 an hour comes to $1,023.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $53,227 a year, and the median of $24.53 to $51,022 a year.
In Iowa, the average is $1.06 above the median (4.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $24.53 an hour or less.
How does Iowa compare?
The average in Iowa is $4.99 below the national average of $30.58 (16.3% less), about $10,379 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Iowa ranks 29 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Iowa and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, Iowa ranks 3 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Missouri, $32.31, and the lowest Kansas, $21.89.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $32.31 | $30.09 | +$6.72 |
| Minnesota | $31.54 | $29.46 | +$5.95 |
| Iowa | $25.59 | $24.53 | |
| Nebraska | $24.64 | $23.38 | -$0.95 |
| South Dakota | $24.40 | $23.49 | -$1.19 |
| North Dakota | $22.53 | $21.69 | -$3.06 |
| Kansas | $21.89 | $19.18 | -$3.70 |
This trade and the others in Iowa
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Iowa. Among them, the average runs from $15.88 (Cleaning) to $27.80 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.80 | $27.99 | +$2.21 |
| Drywall | $25.59 | $24.53 | |
| Painting | $25.04 | $23.90 | -$0.55 |
| Landscaping | $19.84 | $18.71 | -$5.75 |
| Cleaning | $15.88 | $15.68 | -$9.71 |
Against the minimum wage in Iowa
In Iowa most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $24.53, is $17.28 above it, 3.4 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 Iowa, $24.53 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $196.24 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $570.81; 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.