How much does a drywall installer make in Tennessee?
In Tennessee, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.90 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.84 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.90
$22.84
$30.58
$6.68 less an hour
$49,712
By the hour, the week and the year in Tennessee
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.90 an hour comes to $956.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $49,712 a year, and the median of $22.84 to $47,507 a year.
In Tennessee, the average is $1.06 above the median (4.6%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $22.84 an hour or less.
How does Tennessee compare?
The average in Tennessee is $6.68 below the national average of $30.58 (21.8% less), about $13,894 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Tennessee ranks 35 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Tennessee and its Census division, East South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Tennessee pays the highest average, $23.90; next comes Kentucky with $23.13.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $23.90 | $22.84 | |
| Kentucky | $23.13 | $23.24 | -$0.77 |
| Alabama | $23.03 | $23.08 | -$0.87 |
| Mississippi | $18.86 | $17.94 | -$5.04 |
This trade and the others in Tennessee
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 1 of the 5 by average wage in Tennessee. Among them, the average runs from $15.24 (Cleaning) to $23.90 (Drywall).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall | $23.90 | $22.84 | |
| Concrete | $23.41 | $23.04 | -$0.49 |
| Painting | $21.44 | $20.78 | -$2.46 |
| Landscaping | $18.56 | $17.80 | -$5.34 |
| Cleaning | $15.24 | $14.83 | -$8.66 |
Against the minimum wage in Tennessee
In Tennessee most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $22.84, is $15.59 above it, 3.2 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 Tennessee, $22.84 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $182.72 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $553.71; 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.