Career
Drywall and ceiling tile installers
Install drywall and ceilings.
$58,930
Median pay
+2.5%
Job growth, 2025–35
6,600
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- Hang drywall panels on metal frameworks of walls and ceilings in offices, schools, or other large buildings, using lifts or hoists to adjust panel heights, when necessary.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Critical Thinking, Speaking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $58,930 a year and 6,600 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Drywall Installation/DrywallerCIP 46.0404
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall$49,120 · +2.4%
- Tapers$68,270 · -1.6%
- Sheet Metal Workers$61,800 · +2.5%
- Carpenters$60,580 · +3.9%
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons$57,660 · +2.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.