Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary
The median pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installers in Huntsville, AL is $46,150/year ($22.19/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $70K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.07), which stretches that salary to about $49,586 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,310/month, about 41.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $46K get you in Huntsville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Huntsville’s Regional Price Parity (93.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About drywall and ceiling tile installers
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What this looks like in Huntsville
Pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers in Huntsville runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,310/month, which is 42.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.07 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for drywall and ceiling tile installerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers in metros near Huntsville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | $49K | $53K |
| Tuscaloosa | $45K | $51K |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $50K | $44K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $48K | $47K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Huntsville, AL
Entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $46K. Top earners bring in $70K or more, a $42K spread from bottom to top.
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $105K | +78% | 800 |
| New Jersey | $75K | +27% | 1,340 |
| Alaska | $74K | +25% | 100 |
| Oregon | $74K | +25% | 1,680 |
| Washington | $73K | +24% | 2,670 |
| Massachusetts | $70K | +18% | 590 |
| California | $66K | +12% | 27,280 |
| Illinois | $63K | +7% | 740 |
| Missouri | $63K | +6% | 550 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +5% | 370 |
| Colorado | $62K | +5% | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $61K | +4% | 1,680 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +4% | 1,050 |
| New York | $61K | +4% | 2,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +4% | 1,690 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +3% | 300 |
| Montana | $60K | +2% | 170 |
| Maine | $60K | +2% | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | +2% | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $60K | +2% | 90 |
| Michigan | $58K | -1% | 1,050 |
| Georgia | $58K | -1% | 690 |
| Virginia | $56K | -5% | 2,480 |
| Maryland | $55K | -7% | 1,470 |
| New Mexico | $54K | -9% | 580 |
| Nevada | $52K | -11% | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $51K | -13% | 290 |
| Utah | $51K | -13% | 2,610 |
| Arizona | $50K | -15% | 2,590 |
| Delaware | $50K | -15% | 350 |
| Indiana | $50K | -15% | 680 |
| Florida | $49K | -17% | 6,000 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -17% | 360 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -17% | 770 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -18% | 490 |
| Alabama | $48K | -19% | 650 |
| Texas | $48K | -19% | 5,760 |
| Tennessee | $48K | -19% | 1,150 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -20% | 310 |
| Rhode Island | $47K | -20% | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -22% | 280 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -23% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -23% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -24% | 1,520 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -24% | 240 |
| Wyoming | $44K | -25% | 140 |
| Idaho | $44K | -26% | 920 |
| Kansas | $40K | -32% | 650 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -37% | 110 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track drywall and ceiling tile installers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Huntsville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Huntsville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $46K, rent takes 42.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,310/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Huntsville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drywall and ceiling tile installers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,661/month. At HUD’s $1,310/month FMR, rent would take 79% 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 Huntsville?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $46K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Huntsville compare to the national average for drywall and ceiling tile installers?
Huntsville pays $46K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — below the national median.
How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make in Huntsville, AL?
The median is $46,150 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $27,680, and experienced drywall and ceiling tile installers can clear $70,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $46K enough to live in Huntsville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,081/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,310/month, which eats 42.5% 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 Huntsville?
Huntsville has a Regional Price Parity of 93.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median drywall and ceiling tile installers salary is worth about $49,586 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.