How much does a drywall installer make in Wisconsin?
In Wisconsin, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $28.86 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $28.83 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$28.86
$28.83
$30.58
$1.72 less an hour
$60,029
By the hour, the week and the year in Wisconsin
At 40 hours a week, the average of $28.86 an hour comes to $1,154.40 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $60,029 a year, and the median of $28.83 to $59,966 a year.
In Wisconsin, the average is $0.03 above the median (0.1%): a smaller group of higher wages pulls the average up, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $28.83 an hour or less.
How does Wisconsin compare?
The average in Wisconsin is $1.72 below the national average of $30.58 (5.6% less), about $3,578 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Wisconsin ranks 17 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Wisconsin and its Census division, East North Central
By average wage, Wisconsin ranks 3 of the 5 states of the division with data for this trade: the highest is Illinois, $34.95, and the lowest Indiana, $26.15.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $34.95 | $30.38 | +$6.09 |
| Ohio | $29.36 | $29.53 | +$0.50 |
| Wisconsin | $28.86 | $28.83 | |
| Michigan | $28.14 | $28.10 | -$0.72 |
| Indiana | $26.15 | $23.95 | -$2.71 |
This trade and the others in Wisconsin
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Wisconsin. Among them, the average runs from $17.13 (Cleaning) to $33.09 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $33.09 | $30.89 | +$4.23 |
| Drywall | $28.86 | $28.83 | |
| Painting | $26.05 | $24.08 | -$2.81 |
| Landscaping | $20.55 | $19.82 | -$8.31 |
| Cleaning | $17.13 | $17.08 | -$11.73 |
Against the minimum wage in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin most employers pay the federal minimum wage, $7.25 an hour. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $28.83, is $21.58 above it, 4.0 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 Wisconsin, $28.83 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $230.64 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $614.33; 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.