How much does a drywall installer make in North Dakota?
In North Dakota, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $22.53 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.69 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$22.53
$21.69
$30.58
$8.05 less an hour
$46,862
By the hour, the week and the year in North Dakota
At 40 hours a week, the average of $22.53 an hour comes to $901.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $46,862 a year, and the median of $21.69 to $45,115 a year.
In North Dakota, the average is $0.84 above the median (3.9%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $21.69 an hour or less.
How does North Dakota compare?
The average in North Dakota is $8.05 below the national average of $30.58 (26.3% less), about $16,744 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, North Dakota ranks 43 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
North Dakota and its Census division, West North Central
By average wage, North Dakota ranks 6 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Missouri, $32.31, and the lowest Kansas, $21.89.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $32.31 | $30.09 | +$9.78 |
| Minnesota | $31.54 | $29.46 | +$9.01 |
| Iowa | $25.59 | $24.53 | +$3.06 |
| Nebraska | $24.64 | $23.38 | +$2.11 |
| South Dakota | $24.40 | $23.49 | +$1.87 |
| North Dakota | $22.53 | $21.69 | |
| Kansas | $21.89 | $19.18 | -$0.64 |
This trade and the others in North Dakota
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 3 of the 5 by average wage in North Dakota. Among them, the average runs from $17.14 (Cleaning) to $27.31 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $27.31 | $27.74 | +$4.78 |
| Painting | $26.90 | $26.38 | +$4.37 |
| Drywall | $22.53 | $21.69 | |
| Landscaping | $21.04 | $19.61 | -$1.49 |
| Cleaning | $17.14 | $16.85 | -$5.39 |
Against the minimum wage in North Dakota
In North Dakota most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $21.69, is $14.44 above it, 3.0 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 North Dakota, $21.69 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $173.52 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $542.08; 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.