Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Median $58,930
Occupation · SOC 47-2082
Tapers: pay and where the jobs are
What tapers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$68,270 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $72,710
- Median hourly wage
- $32.82
- Mean hourly wage
- $34.96
- Employment
- 12,840
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-2082.
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See where your pay falls among tapers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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Use these numbers
How much do tapers make?
The median annual wage for tapers was $68,270 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $43,670 and the highest-paid 10% more than $107,110. As an hourly rate, the median is $32.82. About 12,840 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Illinois ($113,180), Hawaii ($95,490) and Pennsylvania ($82,240). Illinois also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for tapers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $43,670 | $21.00 | $3,639 | $3,106 |
| 25th percentile | $52,730 | $25.35 | $4,394 | $3,712 |
| Median | $68,270 | $32.82 | $5,689 | $4,738 |
| 75th percentile | $88,540 | $42.57 | $7,378 | $5,926 |
| 90th percentile | $107,110 | $51.50 | $8,926 | $7,015 |
Tapers: pay by state
28 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$83,029 take-home in national prices
2
$65,699 take-home in national prices
3
$63,993 take-home in national prices
Where a median taper paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 320 | $113,180 | $79,230 | $116,500 | $82,995 | $83,029 |
| Hawaii | 170 | $95,490 | $48,890 | $101,610 | $70,164 | $63,814 |
| Pennsylvania | 60 | $82,240 | $37,650 | $105,190 | $64,104 | $65,699 |
| Washington | 1,550 | $79,040 | $50,650 | $103,880 | $63,338 | $59,187 |
| Minnesota | 220 | $78,090 | $72,230 | $89,370 | $59,636 | $60,470 |
| New York | Not published | $77,790 | $52,900 | $108,660 | $59,584 | $55,211 |
| Kansas | 30 | $74,120 | $49,900 | $81,040 | $57,637 | $63,993 |
| Ohio | 110 | $73,840 | $64,300 | $97,170 | $59,189 | $63,799 |
| California | 4,540 | $73,460 | $45,800 | $115,370 | $56,903 | $51,393 |
| Oregon | 500 | $71,450 | $48,620 | $100,880 | $53,854 | $52,103 |
| Iowa | 100 | $66,980 | $55,920 | $70,400 | $54,057 | $61,595 |
| Massachusetts | 510 | $65,060 | $37,670 | $115,390 | $51,123 | $48,340 |
| Michigan | 190 | $63,630 | $60,890 | $70,620 | $50,853 | $52,853 |
| Connecticut | 80 | $63,600 | $48,000 | $84,580 | $50,217 | $48,467 |
| Missouri | 220 | $63,020 | $48,230 | $83,330 | $50,792 | $55,928 |
| Nevada | 1,190 | $60,690 | $43,840 | $101,090 | $50,944 | $50,955 |
| Wisconsin | 70 | $57,840 | $21,490 | $89,660 | $46,691 | $49,621 |
| Idaho | 310 | $57,690 | $36,930 | $93,130 | $46,585 | $48,783 |
| Arizona | 780 | $56,300 | $39,780 | $76,610 | $46,403 | $46,091 |
| Colorado | Not published | $54,500 | $49,240 | $55,930 | $44,041 | $42,737 |
| Utah | 210 | $52,930 | $38,400 | $72,890 | $42,869 | $43,361 |
| Florida | Not published | $49,400 | $39,020 | $54,080 | $41,873 | $40,491 |
| New Mexico | 60 | $48,320 | $45,730 | $60,780 | $39,895 | $43,264 |
| North Carolina | Not published | $45,770 | $34,750 | $46,040 | $37,639 | $39,903 |
| Texas | 220 | $43,670 | $36,880 | $47,620 | $37,269 | $38,399 |
| Indiana | 120 | $42,810 | $36,400 | $110,340 | $35,344 | $37,871 |
| West Virginia | 30 | $41,600 | $31,200 | $61,520 | $34,512 | $38,562 |
| Puerto Rico | 90 | $27,570 | $23,230 | $29,550 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 47-2082. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.