How much does a drywall installer make in New Jersey?
In New Jersey, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $39.08 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $36.09 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$39.08
$36.09
$30.58
$8.50 more an hour
$81,286
By the hour, the week and the year in New Jersey
At 40 hours a week, the average of $39.08 an hour comes to $1,563.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $81,286 a year, and the median of $36.09 to $75,067 a year.
In New Jersey, the average is $2.99 above the median (8.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $36.09 an hour or less.
How does New Jersey compare?
The average in New Jersey is $8.50 above the national average of $30.58 (27.8% more), about $17,680 more a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, New Jersey ranks 2 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
New Jersey and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
Of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade, New Jersey pays the highest average, $39.08; next comes New York with $33.14.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $39.08 | $36.09 | |
| New York | $33.14 | $29.46 | -$5.94 |
| Pennsylvania | $29.80 | $29.40 | -$9.28 |
This trade and the others in New Jersey
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in New Jersey. Among them, the average runs from $19.10 (Cleaning) to $39.08 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $39.08 | $36.09 | |
| Concrete | $33.00 | $29.52 | -$6.08 |
| Painting | $29.33 | $28.49 | -$9.75 |
| Landscaping | $20.82 | $19.88 | -$18.26 |
| Cleaning | $19.10 | $18.26 | -$19.98 |
Against the minimum wage in New Jersey
The minimum wage in New Jersey is $15.92 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $36.09, is $20.17 above it, 2.3 times the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $33,114 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 New Jersey, $36.09 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $288.72 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $687.80; 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.