How much does a drywall installer make in Texas?
In Texas, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $23.58 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $22.88 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$23.58
$22.88
$30.58
$7.00 less an hour
$49,046
By the hour, the week and the year in Texas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $23.58 an hour comes to $943.20 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $49,046 a year, and the median of $22.88 to $47,590 a year.
In Texas, the average is $0.70 above the median (3.1%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $22.88 an hour or less.
How does Texas compare?
The average in Texas is $7.00 below the national average of $30.58 (22.9% less), about $14,560 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Texas ranks 36 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Texas and its Census division, West South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Texas pays the highest average, $23.58; next comes Louisiana with $23.24.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Texas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $23.58 | $22.88 | |
| Louisiana | $23.24 | $22.80 | -$0.34 |
| Oklahoma | $22.18 | $22.15 | -$1.40 |
| Arkansas | $20.87 | $21.42 | -$2.71 |
This trade and the others in Texas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Texas. Among them, the average runs from $14.56 (Cleaning) to $23.69 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $23.69 | $22.84 | +$0.11 |
| Drywall | $23.58 | $22.88 | |
| Painting | $22.13 | $21.86 | -$1.45 |
| Landscaping | $18.27 | $17.66 | -$5.31 |
| Cleaning | $14.56 | $14.26 | -$9.02 |
Against the minimum wage in Texas
In Texas most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $22.88, is $15.63 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 Texas, $22.88 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $183.04 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $554.12; 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.