How much does a drywall installer make in Utah?
In Utah, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $25.35 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $24.53 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$25.35
$24.53
$30.58
$5.23 less an hour
$52,728
By the hour, the week and the year in Utah
At 40 hours a week, the average of $25.35 an hour comes to $1,014.00 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $52,728 a year, and the median of $24.53 to $51,022 a year.
In Utah, the average is $0.82 above the median (3.3%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $24.53 an hour or less.
How does Utah compare?
The average in Utah is $5.23 below the national average of $30.58 (17.1% less), about $10,878 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Utah ranks 30 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Utah and its Census division, Mountain
By average wage, Utah ranks 5 of the 8 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Colorado, $29.78, and the lowest Wyoming, $22.51.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Utah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $29.78 | $29.70 | +$4.43 |
| Montana | $28.81 | $28.92 | +$3.46 |
| Nevada | $28.58 | $25.13 | +$3.23 |
| New Mexico | $27.47 | $25.91 | +$2.12 |
| Utah | $25.35 | $24.53 | |
| Arizona | $25.27 | $24.18 | -$0.08 |
| Idaho | $23.19 | $21.05 | -$2.16 |
| Wyoming | $22.51 | $21.15 | -$2.84 |
This trade and the others in Utah
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Utah. Among them, the average runs from $17.65 (Cleaning) to $26.67 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $26.67 | $27.13 | +$1.32 |
| Drywall | $25.35 | $24.53 | |
| Painting | $22.93 | $22.14 | -$2.42 |
| Landscaping | $20.58 | $19.59 | -$4.77 |
| Cleaning | $17.65 | $17.44 | -$7.70 |
Against the minimum wage in Utah
In Utah most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $24.53, is $17.28 above it, 3.4 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 Utah, $24.53 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $196.24 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $570.81; 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.