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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Georgia

Installer pay in Georgia is close to the national norm: a median of $28.01 an hour is 1% below the US median of $28.33, which places it 22nd of 49 states. One rung up, Michigan pays $0.09 more an hour; one rung down, Virginia pays $1.17 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 22nd of 49 by median wage
Median installer wage$28.011% below US $28.33
Rank by median22ndof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$1.10+estimate, up to $2.25
Installers on payrolls69025th 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)$879
Estimated total$1,280

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 Georgia compares

Closest median wages
Michigan $28.10, Vermont $28.76 and Wisconsin $28.83
20th to 24th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Georgia
Vermont20$28.76$0.75 more
Michigan21$28.10$0.09 more
Georgia22$28.01this state
Virginia23$26.84$1.17 less
Maryland24$26.29$1.72 less

A 12 x 12 room in Georgia

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $1.10/sq ft$581
High end, $2.25/sq ft$1,188
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
Michigan$581 to $1,214same low end as Georgia
Vermont$581 to $1,188same low end as Georgia
Wisconsin$607 to $1,241$26.40 more than Georgia at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Georgia labor for this room is $52.80 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 Georgia

Hourly wage percentiles, Georgia, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$16.43$24.62$28.01$29.83$37.98$27.53
Installers, yearly$34,174$51,210$58,261$62,046$78,998$57,250
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Georgia earn between $24.62 and $29.83 an hour, for a mean of $57,250 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Georgia, with a location quotient of 0.27: their share of jobs is 27% of the national share. The mean, $27.53, and the median, $28.01, sit within 2% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $16.43, to the 90th, $37.98, installer pay spans $21.55 an hour, 71% of the $30.55 national spread. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Georgia.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Georgia earn a mean of $27.53 an hour ($57,250 a year) and a median of $28.01, 1% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $24.62 to $29.83.