How much does a drywall installer make in Kansas?
In Kansas, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $21.89 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $19.18 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$21.89
$19.18
$30.58
$8.69 less an hour
$45,531
By the hour, the week and the year in Kansas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $21.89 an hour comes to $875.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $45,531 a year, and the median of $19.18 to $39,894 a year.
In Kansas, the average is $2.71 above the median (14.1%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $19.18 an hour or less.
How does Kansas compare?
The average in Kansas is $8.69 below the national average of $30.58 (28.4% less), about $18,075 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Kansas ranks 46 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Kansas and its Census division, West North Central
Of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade, Kansas pays the lowest average, $21.89; the next is North Dakota with $22.53.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $32.31 | $30.09 | +$10.42 |
| Minnesota | $31.54 | $29.46 | +$9.65 |
| Iowa | $25.59 | $24.53 | +$3.70 |
| Nebraska | $24.64 | $23.38 | +$2.75 |
| South Dakota | $24.40 | $23.49 | +$2.51 |
| North Dakota | $22.53 | $21.69 | +$0.64 |
| Kansas | $21.89 | $19.18 |
This trade and the others in Kansas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Kansas. Among them, the average runs from $15.41 (Cleaning) to $27.32 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.32 | $25.06 | +$5.43 |
| Drywall | $21.89 | $19.18 | |
| Painting | $21.85 | $21.88 | -$0.04 |
| Landscaping | $19.49 | $18.91 | -$2.40 |
| Cleaning | $15.41 | $14.95 | -$6.48 |
Against the minimum wage in Kansas
In Kansas most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $19.18, is $11.93 above it, 2.6 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 Kansas, $19.18 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $153.44 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $516.67; 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.