How much does a drywall installer make in Pennsylvania?
In Pennsylvania, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $29.80 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $29.40 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$29.80
$29.40
$30.58
$0.78 less an hour
$61,984
By the hour, the week and the year in Pennsylvania
At 40 hours a week, the average of $29.80 an hour comes to $1,192.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $61,984 a year, and the median of $29.40 to $61,152 a year.
In Pennsylvania, the average is $0.40 above the median (1.4%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $29.40 an hour or less.
How does Pennsylvania compare?
The average in Pennsylvania is $0.78 below the national average of $30.58 (2.6% less), about $1,622 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Pennsylvania ranks 13 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Pennsylvania and its Census division, Middle Atlantic
Of the 3 states of the division with data for this trade, Pennsylvania pays the lowest average, $29.80; the next is New York with $33.14.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $39.08 | $36.09 | +$9.28 |
| New York | $33.14 | $29.46 | +$3.34 |
| Pennsylvania | $29.80 | $29.40 |
This trade and the others in Pennsylvania
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Pennsylvania. Among them, the average runs from $16.23 (Cleaning) to $29.82 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $29.82 | $29.62 | +$0.02 |
| Drywall | $29.80 | $29.40 | |
| Painting | $26.07 | $25.06 | -$3.73 |
| Landscaping | $19.95 | $18.99 | -$9.85 |
| Cleaning | $16.23 | $16.29 | -$13.57 |
Against the minimum wage in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $29.40, is $22.15 above it, 4.1 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 Pennsylvania, $29.40 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $235.20 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $620.10; 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.