# Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

> Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings. Apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. Materials may be of decorative quality. Includes lathers who fasten wooden, metal, or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings to provide support base for plaster, fireproofing, or acoustical material.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/drywall-and-ceiling-tile-installers
- SOC code: 47-2081.00
- Career family: Construction and extraction
- Median annual pay: $58,930 (10th percentile $38,460, 90th percentile $102,010)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.5%
- Openings a year: 6,600
- Typical entry education: No formal credential
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 16 |
| Artistic (A) | 22 |
| Social (S) | 3 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 36 |

## What you'd do

- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 89/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 82/100)
- Getting Information (importance 79/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 79/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 77/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 74/100)
- Processing Information (importance 69/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 68/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 67/100)
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others (importance 66/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Speaking, Time Management, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Complex Problem Solving, Operation and Control

## Knowledge

Building and Construction, Mathematics, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Design, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service, Production and Processing

## Also called

Acoustical Ceiling Installer, Acoustical Consultant, Acoustical Installer, Acoustical Specialist, Ceiling Installer, Drywall Application Specialist, Drywall Applicator, Drywall Boardhanger, Drywall Carrier, Drywall Contractor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4604) (CIP 4604, 319 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Utah Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-valley-university-3103) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $82,443 | $97,793 | $11,042 |
| [The University of Texas at San Antonio](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio-2767) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $74,627 | $90,691 | $17,750 |
| [Tuskegee University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/tuskegee-university-2832) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $74,054 | $87,107 | not reported |
| [Pennsylvania College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pennsylvania-college-of-technology-2096) | Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection | $69,819 | $74,310 | $27,000 |

## Related careers

- [Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/insulation-workers-floor-ceiling-and-wall): $49,120 median pay
- [Tapers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/tapers): $68,270 median pay
- [Sheet Metal Workers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sheet-metal-workers): $61,800 median pay
- [Carpenters](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/carpenters): $60,580 median pay
- [Plasterers and Stucco Masons](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/plasterers-and-stucco-masons): $57,660 median pay
- [Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/floor-layers-except-carpet-wood-and-hard-tiles): $56,460 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.