Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary
The median pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installers in California is $65,880/year ($31.67/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $62,069 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 57.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $66K get you in California?
About drywall and ceiling tile installers
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for drywall and ceiling tile installers, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 56.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary by metro in California
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa | $84K | +28% | 50 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $83K | +25% | 700 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $82K | +25% | 2,510 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $79K | +21% | 1,960 |
| El Centro | $78K | +18% | 90 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $76K | +16% | 3,220 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $75K | +13% | 120 |
| Salinas | $74K | +12% | 160 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $74K | +12% | 450 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $67K | +2% | 180 |
| Modesto | $66K | -0% | 400 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $64K | -2% | 440 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $64K | -3% | 650 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $64K | -4% | 2,500 |
| Merced | $63K | -4% | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $63K | -5% | 7,710 |
| Fresno | $62K | -5% | 800 |
| Redding | $62K | -6% | 100 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $61K | -7% | 3,640 |
| Chico | $61K | -7% | 60 |
| Yuba City | $61K | -7% | 70 |
| Visalia | $47K | -29% | 300 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 56.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for drywall and ceiling tile installers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drywall and ceiling tile installers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,763/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 89% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is drywall and ceiling tile installer a high-paying job in California?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $66K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for drywall and ceiling tile installers?
California pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make in California?
The median is $65,880 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,050, and experienced drywall and ceiling tile installers can clear $120,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,364/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 56.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a drywall and ceiling tile installers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median drywall and ceiling tile installers salary is worth about $62,069 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do drywall and ceiling tile installers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.