How much does a drywall installer make in Rhode Island?
In Rhode Island, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $27.58 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.65 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$27.58
$22.65
$30.58
$3.00 less an hour
$57,366
By the hour, the week and the year in Rhode Island
At 40 hours a week, the average of $27.58 an hour comes to $1,103.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $57,366 a year, and the median of $22.65 to $47,112 a year.
In Rhode Island, the average is $4.93 above the median (21.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $22.65 an hour or less.
How does Rhode Island compare?
The average in Rhode Island is $3.00 below the national average of $30.58 (9.8% less), about $6,240 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Rhode Island ranks 22 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Rhode Island and its Census division, New England
By average wage, Rhode Island ranks 5 of the 6 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Massachusetts, $32.80, and the lowest Vermont, $27.44.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $32.80 | $33.42 | +$5.22 |
| New Hampshire | $32.31 | $29.79 | +$4.73 |
| Connecticut | $29.33 | $29.08 | +$1.75 |
| Maine | $28.45 | $28.89 | +$0.87 |
| Rhode Island | $27.58 | $22.65 | |
| Vermont | $27.44 | $28.76 | -$0.14 |
This trade and the others in Rhode Island
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Rhode Island. Among them, the average runs from $18.88 (Cleaning) to $31.74 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $31.74 | $30.26 | +$4.16 |
| Drywall | $27.58 | $22.65 | |
| Painting | $23.15 | $20.00 | -$4.43 |
| Landscaping | $21.82 | $21.51 | -$5.76 |
| Cleaning | $18.88 | $18.05 | -$8.70 |
Against the minimum wage in Rhode Island
The minimum wage in Rhode Island is $16.00 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $22.65, is $6.65 above it, 41.6% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $33,280 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 Rhode Island, $22.65 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $181.20 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $551.79; 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.