Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary
The median pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installers in Killeen-Temple, TX is $40,100/year ($19.28/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.13), which stretches that salary to about $44,003 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,233/month, about 42.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in Killeen-Temple?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Killeen-Temple’s Regional Price Parity (91.13). 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 Killeen-Temple
Pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers in Killeen-Temple runs about 32% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,233/month, which is 43.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.13 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% 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 Killeen-Temple, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $48K | $47K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $48K | $48K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $51K | $51K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $47K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Killeen-Temple, TX
Entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $25K 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 Killeen-Temple numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Killeen-Temple?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 43.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,233/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 Killeen-Temple?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drywall and ceiling tile installers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,383/month. At HUD’s $1,233/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Killeen-Temple?
Local pay runs 32% below the national median — $40K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Killeen-Temple compare to the national average for drywall and ceiling tile installers?
Killeen-Temple pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -32%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make in Killeen-Temple, TX?
The median is $40,100 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,710, and experienced drywall and ceiling tile installers can clear $64,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Killeen-Temple?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,855/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,233/month, which eats 43.2% 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 Killeen-Temple?
Killeen-Temple has a Regional Price Parity of 91.13 (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 $44,003 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.