How much does a drywall installer make in Mississippi?
In Mississippi, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $18.86 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $17.94 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$18.86
$17.94
$30.58
$11.72 less an hour
$39,229
By the hour, the week and the year in Mississippi
At 40 hours a week, the average of $18.86 an hour comes to $754.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $39,229 a year, and the median of $17.94 to $37,315 a year.
In Mississippi, the average is $0.92 above the median (5.1%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $17.94 an hour or less.
How does Mississippi compare?
The average in Mississippi is $11.72 below the national average of $30.58 (38.3% less), about $24,378 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Mississippi ranks 49 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Mississippi and its Census division, East South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Mississippi pays the lowest average, $18.86; the next is Alabama with $23.03.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $23.90 | $22.84 | +$5.04 |
| Kentucky | $23.13 | $23.24 | +$4.27 |
| Alabama | $23.03 | $23.08 | +$4.17 |
| Mississippi | $18.86 | $17.94 |
This trade and the others in Mississippi
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in Mississippi. Among them, the average runs from $12.43 (Cleaning) to $22.33 (Painting).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painting | $22.33 | $21.54 | +$3.47 |
| Concrete | $20.90 | $21.14 | +$2.04 |
| Drywall | $18.86 | $17.94 | |
| Landscaping | $16.12 | $15.21 | -$2.74 |
| Cleaning | $12.43 | $12.19 | -$6.43 |
Against the minimum wage in Mississippi
In Mississippi most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $17.94, is $10.69 above it, 2.5 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 Mississippi, $17.94 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $143.52 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $504.13; 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.