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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Alabama

Ranked 36th of 49, Alabama pays drywall installers a median of $23.08 an hour, 19% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Kentucky pays $0.16 more an hour; one rung down, Texas pays $0.20 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 36th of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$23.0819% below US $28.33
Rank by median36thof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$0.90+estimate, up to $1.90
Installers on payrolls65027th most of 49

Room dimensions

Room shape
Length
ft
in
Width
ft
in
Wall height
ft
in

Wall height changes the board layout. Compare 8 ft, 9 ft and 10 ft walls.

Surfaces & board

Sheet size

Openings & waste

21 sq ft each
15 sq ft each
16 x 7 ft, 112 sq ft
%
10% is standard
Cost estimateoptional
$
per 4' x 8' sheet
$
typical $1.20 to $2.50

Your estimate

4' x 8' sheets · 10% waste allowance
21sheets of
4' x 8' drywall

Area

Gross wall area416.0 sq ft
Less openings- 51.0 sq ft
Net wall area365.0 sq ft
Ceiling area168.0 sq ft
Total drywall area533.0 sq ft
With 10% waste586.3 sq ft

Materials

Joint compound85.1 lb2 × 4.5 gal box
Joint tape225 linear ft1 × 250 ft roll
Drywall screws575about 3 lb

Cost breakdown

Drywall board (21 sheets)$336
Finishing materials$65.00compound, tape, screws
Labor (hang & finish)$746
Estimated total$1,147

Quantities include a 10% waste allowance and standard deductions of 21 sq ft per door, 15 sq ft per window and 112 sq ft per garage door. The sheet count comes from laying the board out wall by wall, plus 10% as spare sheets. Round up when in doubt, an extra sheet costs less than a second trip.

How Alabama compares

Closest median wages
Kentucky $23.24, Texas $22.88 and Tennessee $22.84
34th to 38th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Alabama
Nebraska34$23.38$0.30 more
Kentucky35$23.24$0.16 more
Alabama36$23.08this state
Texas37$22.88$0.20 less
Tennessee38$22.84$0.24 less

A 12 x 12 room in Alabama

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $0.90/sq ft$475
High end, $1.90/sq ft$1,003
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
Kentucky$475 to $1,003same low end as Alabama
Texas$502 to $1,030$26.40 more than Alabama at the low end
Tennessee$502 to $1,030$26.40 more than Alabama at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Alabama labor for this room is $158.40 less at the low end, scaled from wages rather than bids (method). Also see the room's sheet count and its paint estimate.

What drywall workers earn in Alabama

Hourly wage percentiles, Alabama, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$17.92$20.04$23.08$24.75$29.28$23.03
Installers, yearly$37,274$41,683$48,006$51,480$60,902$47,910
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Alabama earn between $20.04 and $24.75 an hour, for a mean of $47,910 a year. The location quotient of 0.58 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in Alabama than nationally, 58% of it. The mean, $23.03, and the median, $23.08, sit within a fraction of a percent of each other. From the 10th percentile, $17.92, to the 90th, $29.28, installer pay spans $11.36 an hour, 37% of the $30.55 national spread. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Alabama.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Alabama earn a mean of $23.03 an hour ($47,910 a year) and a median of $23.08, 19% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $20.04 to $24.75.