How much does a drywall installer make in Maryland?
In Maryland, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $26.50 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $26.29 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$26.50
$26.29
$30.58
$4.08 less an hour
$55,120
By the hour, the week and the year in Maryland
At 40 hours a week, the average of $26.50 an hour comes to $1,060.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $55,120 a year, and the median of $26.29 to $54,683 a year.
In Maryland, the average is $0.21 above the median (0.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $26.29 an hour or less.
How does Maryland compare?
The average in Maryland is $4.08 below the national average of $30.58 (13.3% less), about $8,486 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Maryland ranks 27 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Maryland and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, Maryland ranks 3 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Georgia, $27.53, and the lowest North Carolina, $21.66.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $27.53 | $28.01 | +$1.03 |
| Virginia | $26.59 | $26.84 | +$0.09 |
| Maryland | $26.50 | $26.29 | |
| Delaware | $24.45 | $24.12 | -$2.05 |
| Florida | $23.51 | $23.54 | -$2.99 |
| South Carolina | $23.28 | $21.80 | -$3.22 |
| North Carolina | $21.66 | $21.67 | -$4.84 |
This trade and the others in Maryland
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Maryland. Among them, the average runs from $17.40 (Cleaning) to $26.76 (Painting).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | $26.76 | $23.62 | +$0.26 |
| Drywall | $26.50 | $26.29 | |
| Concrete | $26.13 | $24.98 | -$0.37 |
| Landscaping | $20.86 | $18.93 | -$5.64 |
| Cleaning | $17.40 | $17.07 | -$9.10 |
Against the minimum wage in Maryland
The minimum wage in Maryland is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $26.29, is $11.29 above it, 75.3% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $31,200 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 Maryland, $26.29 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $210.32 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $588.63; 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.