How much does a drywall installer make in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.24 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.80 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.24
$22.80
$30.58
$7.34 less an hour
$48,339
By the hour, the week and the year in Louisiana
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.24 an hour comes to $929.60 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,339 a year, and the median of $22.80 to $47,424 a year.
In Louisiana, the average is $0.44 above the median (1.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $22.80 an hour or less.
How does Louisiana compare?
The average in Louisiana is $7.34 below the national average of $30.58 (24.0% less), about $15,267 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Louisiana ranks 39 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Louisiana and its Census division, West South Central
By average wage, Louisiana ranks 2 of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Texas, $23.58, and the lowest Arkansas, $20.87.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $23.58 | $22.88 | +$0.34 |
| Louisiana | $23.24 | $22.80 | |
| Oklahoma | $22.18 | $22.15 | -$1.06 |
| Arkansas | $20.87 | $21.42 | -$2.37 |
This trade and the others in Louisiana
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Louisiana. Among them, the average runs from $13.15 (Cleaning) to $25.41 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $25.41 | $23.64 | +$2.17 |
| Drywall | $23.24 | $22.80 | |
| Painting | $22.13 | $22.31 | -$1.11 |
| Landscaping | $16.42 | $16.76 | -$6.82 |
| Cleaning | $13.15 | $12.79 | -$10.09 |
Against the minimum wage in Louisiana
In Louisiana most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $22.80, is $15.55 above it, 3.1 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 Louisiana, $22.80 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $182.40 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $553.31; 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.