Drywall Finisher Salary in USA

$33/hr

Compare employee offers by finishing scope, quality expectations and the pay package. A subcontract price includes costs beyond the finisher's wage.

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What Drywall Finishers Earn in the United States

Current national taper employee wages span $21.00–$51.50/hr, or $43,670–$107,110/year, with a $32.82/hr median. BLS classifies this finishing work as Tapers; drywall installers have a separate wage series. Location, employer, responsibility and project requirements affect offers. Compare expected paid hours, benefits and travel costs together. Editorial experience labels do not establish union classifications, guarantee progression or measure a separate premium for texture or repair work.

Hourly rates by level in USA

What drywall finishers earn at each stage of the trade in USA, before overtime or per-diem.

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$21–$25.35/hr
▲ 5.5% from last year
Skilled · 3–7 yrs
$25.35–$42.57/hr
▲ 5.5% from last year
Lead · 7+ yrs
$42.57–$51.50/hr
▲ 5.5% from last year

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Where do you stand?

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$/ hr

Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.

You're right around the middle

$32.00 is above roughly 52% of this market. The top quarter starts at $37.00, and the median sits at $31.50.

10th
$18
25th
$25
Median
$32
75th
$37
90th
$50
YOU · $32.00
Your percentile
52th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$66,560
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
+$1,040
Above the median

Build your rate

Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.

1Your level

2Certifications you hold

3Shift & work type

4Overtime & per diem

Weekly overtime hours8 hrs
Per diem (per day away)$0
American RecruitsEstimate
Skilled Drywall Finisher
USA · Day Shift
Base rate$33.96
+ OSHA 10-Hour Construction$0.38
+ NCCER Drywall$0.75
Effective hourly$35.09
Straight · 40 hrs$1,404
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$421
Weekly gross$1,825
Annualised · 50 weeks
$91,234
8 OT hrs/week · USA

Who pays the most in USA

Specialist finishing services, commercial projects and homebuilding are ranked by national taper medians. Work continuity, site access and local layouts distinguish these three settings; the selection does not establish the highest wages everywhere.

01 / 03$33.84/hr

Building Finishing Contractors

Taping within specialist finishing services.

+ Trade focus
+ Varied assignments
– Uneven workloads
– Travel demands
02 / 03$32.76/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Finishing on commercial building projects.

+ Larger projects
+ Crew coordination
– Access restrictions
– Schedule changes
03 / 03$32.52/hr

Residential Building Construction

Finishing within homebuilding projects.

+ Local projects
+ Repeated layouts
– Variable demand
– Changing schedules

Which states pay drywall finishers the most

Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.

  1. 01California$35.32/hr
  2. 02Virginia$32.82/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
Fall Protection Competent Person+$0.75$1,560$1625 weeks
Scaffold User/Competent Person+$1$2,080$2005 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.38$790$906 weeks
NCCER Drywall+$0.75$1,560$2007 weeks
First Aid/CPR (OSHA-aligned)+$0.25$520$758 weeks

What overtime actually adds

At $32.82/hr.

40 hr week
$1,313
No OT
50 hr week
$1,805
+$24,615/yr
60 hr week
$2,297
+$49,230/yr
70 hr week
$2,790
+$73,845/yr

Questions workers ask

Does pay per finished area remove overtime rights?▾
No. Piece or area pay does not automatically remove overtime for covered, nonexempt employees. Ask how hours are recorded and how the regular rate is calculated when rework or production delays change the payout.
Is required sanding-equipment cleanup paid work?▾
No. Required cleanup is not automatically unpaid. Federal guidance generally treats required work as working time, including cleanup you must perform before leaving. Ask how the employer records it.
Are installation and finishing separate for overtime?▾
No. Separate tasks or pay rates for the same employer do not automatically create separate overtime clocks for covered, nonexempt work. Ask how payroll combines hours and rates.

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Source: Current BLS national employee wages for tapers, SOC 47-2082; installation wages and contracting revenue are separate.

Last updated October 20, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.