How much does a drywall installer make in Montana?
In Montana, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $28.81 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.92 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$28.81
$28.92
$30.58
$1.77 less an hour
$59,925
By the hour, the week and the year in Montana
At 40 hours a week, the average of $28.81 an hour comes to $1,152.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $59,925 a year, and the median of $28.92 to $60,154 a year.
In Montana, the average is $0.11 below the median (0.4%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $28.92 an hour or more.
How does Montana compare?
The average in Montana is $1.77 below the national average of $30.58 (5.8% less), about $3,682 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Montana ranks 18 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Montana and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Montana ranks 2 of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Colorado, $29.78, and the lowest Wyoming, $22.51.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Montana |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $29.78 | $29.70 | +$0.97 |
| Montana | $28.81 | $28.92 | |
| Nevada | $28.58 | $25.13 | -$0.23 |
| New Mexico | $27.47 | $25.91 | -$1.34 |
| Utah | $25.35 | $24.53 | -$3.46 |
| Arizona | $25.27 | $24.18 | -$3.54 |
| Idaho | $23.19 | $21.05 | -$5.62 |
| Wyoming | $22.51 | $21.15 | -$6.30 |
This trade and the others in Montana
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Montana. Among them, the average runs from $17.66 (Cleaning) to $29.88 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.88 | $29.63 | +$1.07 |
| Drywall | $28.81 | $28.92 | |
| Painting | $26.30 | $28.03 | -$2.51 |
| Landscaping | $21.90 | $21.80 | -$6.91 |
| Cleaning | $17.66 | $17.18 | -$11.15 |
Against the minimum wage in Montana
The minimum wage in Montana is $10.85 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $28.92, is $18.07 above it, 2.7 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $22,568 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 Montana, $28.92 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $231.36 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $615.25; 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.