Drywall Installer Salary in Virginia

$27/hr

Read Virginia installation wage ranges alongside national sector medians, then compare paid hours, duties and benefits in offers.

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What Drywall Installers Earn in Virginia

Virginia employee wages span $18.77–$34.29/hr for drywall and ceiling tile installation. The work includes attaching wallboard and installing ceiling tile, while taping belongs to a separate occupation. Discuss whether an offer covers hanging, ceiling systems or both. Ask who supplies panel lifts and tools, how hours are recorded and how moves between jobs affect the working day. Include required stocking and cleanup when comparing the hours offered. Confirm whether public projects pay a prevailing wage rate. Ask how overtime is scheduled during busy phases.

Hourly rates by level in Virginia

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

Apprentice · 0–2 yrs
$18.77–$22.84/hr
▲ 7.83% from last year
Journeyman · 4–8 yrs
$22.84–$29.22/hr
▲ 7.83% from last year
Master · 8+ yrs
$29.22–$34.29/hr
▲ 7.83% from last year

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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 Installer
Virginia · Day Shift
Base rate$26.03
+ EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)$4.00
+ OSHA 30-Hour Construction$0.83
+ Supported Scaffold User$0.11
Effective hourly$30.97
Straight · 40 hrs$1,239
Overtime · 8 hrs @ 1.5×$372
Weekly gross$1,610
Annualised · 50 weeks
$80,522
8 OT hrs/week · Virginia

Who pays the most in Virginia

These national sector medians help compare employer types for installation work. Ask Virginia employers about panel scope, site access and paid preparation.

01 / 03$32.30/hr

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial building employers coordinate wallboard with services and inspections. Ask who schedules lifts, material deliveries and access for the installation crew. Ask how panel movement fits around other trades.

+ Larger interiors
+ Assembly experience
– Access restrictions
– Schedule changes
02 / 03$28.27/hr

Building Finishing Contractors

Drywall specialists organize panel hanging within finishing contracts. Discuss whether stocking, damaged-board replacement and moves between projects appear in paid hours. Agree the handover point with the finishing crew.

+ Installation focus
+ Specialist crews
– Changing sites
– Material handling
03 / 03$27.51/hr

Residential Building Construction

Homebuilders and remodelers need panels fitted around room openings. Ask how the employer allocates small repairs, cleanup and return visits between assignments. Agree where to report each morning and who communicates assignment changes.

+ Room layouts
+ Remodel experience
– Occupied rooms
– Repeat visits

Which states pay drywall installers 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$31.67/hr
  2. 02Virginiathis page$26.84/hr

What each certification is worth

Sorted by payback speed.

CertificationRate bumpExtra / yearCostPayback
EAS Carpenters Technical Centers Apprenticeship (journeyperson)+$4$8,320$00 weeks
OSHA 30-Hour Construction+$0.83$1,726$1595 weeks
OSHA 10-Hour Construction+$0.28$582$596 weeks
Supported Scaffold User+$0.11$229$358 weeks
Aerial/Scissor Lift (MEWP) Operator+$0.07$146$5922 weeks
OSHA Silica in Construction (29 CFR 1926.1153) Training+$0.03$62$3025 weeks

What overtime actually adds

Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $26.84/hr.

40 hr week
$1,074
No OT
50 hr week
$1,476
+$20,130/yr
60 hr week
$1,879
+$40,260/yr
70 hr week
$2,281
+$60,390/yr

Questions workers ask

Do state-funded drywall projects pay prevailing wage?▾
Yes, if the public works contract exceeds $250,000 and uses state funds, or the locality has adopted a prevailing wage ordinance. Virginia's Commissioner of Labor and Industry sets each craft's rate, and contractors must post those rates at the site.
Must I pay for my own respirator or other required protection?▾
No. VOSH, run by Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry, requires employers to provide required protective equipment at no cost. Exceptions include non-specialty safety-toe boots and prescription safety glasses you may wear off the job.
Where can I raise an unpaid overtime complaint?▾
Virginia DOLI accepts wage claims and handles overtime enforcement for wages earned from July 1, 2026. Covered nonexempt installers receive overtime after 40 weekly hours. Keep earnings statements and time records identifying the employer and unpaid workweeks. Identify installation hours separately from ordinary commuting time.

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Current BLS Virginia employee wages for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, SOC 47-2081; includes ceiling tile installation, excludes taping and finishing, premium pay and benefits.

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