How much does a drywall installer make in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.28 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.80 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.28
$21.80
$30.58
$7.30 less an hour
$48,422
By the hour, the week and the year in South Carolina
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.28 an hour comes to $931.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $48,422 a year, and the median of $21.80 to $45,344 a year.
In South Carolina, the average is $1.48 above the median (6.8%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $21.80 an hour or less.
How does South Carolina compare?
The average in South Carolina is $7.30 below the national average of $30.58 (23.9% less), about $15,184 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, South Carolina ranks 38 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
South Carolina and its Census division, South Atlantic
By average wage, South Carolina ranks 6 of the 7 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Georgia, $27.53, and the lowest North Carolina, $21.66.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $27.53 | $28.01 | +$4.25 |
| Virginia | $26.59 | $26.84 | +$3.31 |
| Maryland | $26.50 | $26.29 | +$3.22 |
| Delaware | $24.45 | $24.12 | +$1.17 |
| Florida | $23.51 | $23.54 | +$0.23 |
| South Carolina | $23.28 | $21.80 | |
| North Carolina | $21.66 | $21.67 | -$1.62 |
This trade and the others in South Carolina
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in South Carolina. Among them, the average runs from $14.88 (Cleaning) to $26.03 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.03 | $23.73 | +$2.75 |
| Drywall | $23.28 | $21.80 | |
| Painting | $20.22 | $19.64 | -$3.06 |
| Landscaping | $18.04 | $17.65 | -$5.24 |
| Cleaning | $14.88 | $14.55 | -$8.40 |
Against the minimum wage in South Carolina
In South Carolina most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $21.80, is $14.55 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 South Carolina, $21.80 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $174.40 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $543.19; 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.