How much does a drywall installer make in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.13 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $23.24 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.13
$23.24
$30.58
$7.45 less an hour
$48,110
By the hour, the week and the year in Kentucky
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.13 an hour comes to $925.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,110 a year, and the median of $23.24 to $48,339 a year.
In Kentucky, the average is $0.11 below the median (0.5%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $23.24 an hour or more.
How does Kentucky compare?
The average in Kentucky is $7.45 below the national average of $30.58 (24.4% less), about $15,496 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Kentucky ranks 41 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Kentucky and its Census division, East South Central
By average wage, Kentucky ranks 2 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Tennessee, $23.90, and the lowest Mississippi, $18.86.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $23.90 | $22.84 | +$0.77 |
| Kentucky | $23.13 | $23.24 | |
| Alabama | $23.03 | $23.08 | -$0.10 |
| Mississippi | $18.86 | $17.94 | -$4.27 |
This trade and the others in Kentucky
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Kentucky. Among them, the average runs from $15.35 (Cleaning) to $25.22 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.22 | $24.14 | +$2.09 |
| Painting | $24.72 | $23.13 | +$1.59 |
| Drywall | $23.13 | $23.24 | |
| Landscaping | $18.34 | $17.63 | -$4.79 |
| Cleaning | $15.35 | $14.85 | -$7.78 |
Against the minimum wage in Kentucky
In Kentucky most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $23.24, is $15.99 above it, 3.2 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 Kentucky, $23.24 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $185.92 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $557.76; 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.