Drywall Finisher Salary in Virginia

$33/hr

National employee wage ranges help Virginia finishers assess offers for taping, coating and sanding work across construction employers.

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What Drywall Finishers Earn in Virginia

National employee wages span $21.00–$51.50/hr across the bands below because a Virginia estimate is not published. Start with the duties in an offer: hand taping, machine tools, corners, repairs and final surface preparation. Then ask how the employer pays overtime and supplies sanding equipment. These national figures exclude premium pay and benefits, so compare those parts of the offer separately from the base wage.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$21–$25.35/hr
▲ 5.5% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$25.35–$42.57/hr
▲ 5.5% from last year
Master · 8+ 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

$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.

10th
$18
25th
$23
Median
$29
75th
$36
90th
$45
YOU · $28.00
Your percentile
46th
Among this market
Your annual · 40 hrs
$58,240
Before overtime and per diem
Gap to median
−$2,080
Below the median

Calculate pay with extra credentials

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

An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.

American RecruitsEstimate
Journeyman Drywall Finisher
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$33.96
+ IUPAT DC 51 / FTI Drywall Finisher Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$2.92
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.61
+ Supported Scaffold User$0.08
Effective hourly$37.57
Straight · 40 hrs$1,503
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$451
Weekly gross$1,954
Annualised · 50 weeks
$97,682
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national sector medians help assess Virginia job offers. Ask which company employs you and which finishing duties its crew performs.

01 / 03$33.84/hr

Building Finishing Contractors

Drywall subcontractors operate under Virginia's DRY specialty or another authorized scope. Ask about vacuum sanders and paid equipment moves between assignments.

+ Trade practice
+ Specialized crews
– Dust exposure
– Repeated sanding
02 / 03$32.76/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial interiors involve coordinated room handovers. Ask Virginia CBC employers how they pay finishers during moves and preparation between coating rounds.

+ Large interiors
+ Team coordination
– Trade congestion
– Handover pressure
03 / 03$32.52/hr

Residential Building Construction

Homebuilders and remodelers bring finishers into new rooms and repairs. Fairfax has local home improvement licensing requirements. Discuss cleanup and return visits.

+ Repair variety
+ Smaller crews
– Occupied rooms
– Return visits

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. 02Virginiathis page$32.82/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
IUPAT DC 51 / FTI Drywall Finisher Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$2.92$6,074$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.61$1,269$1597 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.20$416$598 weeks
Supported Scaffold User+$0.08$166$3511 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.05$104$5930 weeks
EPA Lead RRP Certified Renovator (Initial)+$0.16$333$27543 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. 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

Is piece-rate finishing pay protected like hourly wages?▾
Yes. Virginia Code § 40.1-29 lists piece rate wages among the wages employers must pay on time and in full. Unpaid board or footage pay can be claimed through DOLI like hourly pay, so keep your own count of completed work.
Must a Virginia finishing job ad show the pay?▾
Yes. Virginia Code § 40.1-28.7:12 requires a good-faith wage or salary range in each public and internal job posting. Employers also cannot seek your wage history or refuse to hire you for not providing it.
Where can I take an unpaid overtime complaint?▾
To Virginia DOLI for overtime wages earned from July 1, 2026, when its overtime enforcement began. Earlier overtime complaints go to the federal Wage and Hour Division or private litigation. Keep time records and pay statements to document hours and payments.

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Current BLS national employee wages for Tapers, SOC 47-2082; Virginia estimate not published, wages exclude premium pay and benefits.

Last updated October 29, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.