Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary
The median pay for a drywall and ceiling tile installers in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $53,820/year ($25.87/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers.
So what does $54K get you in Trenton-Princeton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Trenton-Princeton’s Regional Price Parity (103.2). 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 Trenton-Princeton
Drywall and ceiling tile installers pay in Trenton-Princeton tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,950/month, which is 53.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.2) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for drywall and ceiling tile installers in metros near Trenton-Princeton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $71K | , |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $61K | , |
| Pittsburgh | $61K | , |
| Rochester | $60K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $78K 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
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 Trenton-Princeton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Trenton-Princeton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 53.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,950/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 Trenton-Princeton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new drywall and ceiling tile installers typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,933/month. At HUD’s $1,950/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Trenton-Princeton compare to the national average for drywall and ceiling tile installers?
Trenton-Princeton pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
The median is $53,820 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,220, and experienced drywall and ceiling tile installers can clear $110,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Trenton-Princeton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,650/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,950/month, which eats 53.4% 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 Trenton-Princeton?
Trenton-Princeton has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median drywall and ceiling tile installers salary is worth about $52,151 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.