Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary
The median pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN is $50,640/year ($24.34/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $65K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $52,564 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 49.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,730/month, which is 48.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | $47K | $51K |
| Chattanooga | $45K | $49K |
| Clarksville | $39K | $43K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $46K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $65K or more, a $27K 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 48.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drywall and ceiling tile installers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,303/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $51K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for drywall and ceiling tile installers?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $50,640 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,390, and experienced drywall and ceiling tile installers can clear $65,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,561/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 48.6% 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 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (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 $52,564 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.