How much does a drywall installer make in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $32.80 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $33.42 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$32.80
$33.42
$30.58
$2.22 more an hour
$68,224
By the hour, the week and the year in Massachusetts
At 40 hours a week, the average of $32.80 an hour comes to $1,312.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $68,224 a year, and the median of $33.42 to $69,514 a year.
In Massachusetts, the average is $0.62 below the median (1.9%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $33.42 an hour or more.
How does Massachusetts compare?
The average in Massachusetts is $2.22 above the national average of $30.58 (7.3% more), about $4,618 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Massachusetts ranks 8 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Massachusetts and its Census division, New England
Of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade, Massachusetts pays the highest average, $32.80; next comes New Hampshire with $32.31.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $32.80 | $33.42 | |
| New Hampshire | $32.31 | $29.79 | -$0.49 |
| Connecticut | $29.33 | $29.08 | -$3.47 |
| Maine | $28.45 | $28.89 | -$4.35 |
| Rhode Island | $27.58 | $22.65 | -$5.22 |
| Vermont | $27.44 | $28.76 | -$5.36 |
This trade and the others in Massachusetts
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Massachusetts. Among them, the average runs from $20.38 (Cleaning) to $34.96 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $34.96 | $30.69 | +$2.16 |
| Drywall | $32.80 | $33.42 | |
| Painting | $30.81 | $27.65 | -$1.99 |
| Landscaping | $24.30 | $23.40 | -$8.50 |
| Cleaning | $20.38 | $18.73 | -$12.42 |
Against the minimum wage in Massachusetts
The minimum wage in Massachusetts is $15.00 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $33.42, is $18.42 above it, 2.2 times 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 Massachusetts, $33.42 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $267.36 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $660.79; 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.