Drywall Labor Cost in Idaho
Idaho is one of the lower-paying states for drywall work: its median installer wage of $21.05 an hour is 26% under the national median, 3rd lowest of 49. One rung up, Wyoming pays $0.10 more an hour; one rung down, Kansas pays $1.87 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 47th of 49 by median wage
Your estimate
4' x 8' sheets · 10% waste allowance4' x 8' drywall
Area
Materials
Cost breakdown
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 Idaho compares
- Closest median wages
- Wyoming $21.15, Arkansas $21.42 and North Carolina $21.67
| State | Rank | Median | Against Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 45 | $21.42 | $0.37 more |
| Wyoming | 46 | $21.15 | $0.10 more |
| Idaho | 47 | $21.05 | this state |
| Kansas | 48 | $19.18 | $1.87 less |
| Mississippi | 49 | $17.94 | $3.11 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Idaho
| Low end, $0.90/sq ft | $475 |
|---|---|
| High end, $1.90/sq ft | $1,003 |
| Wyoming | $475 to $977 | same low end as Idaho |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | $422 to $898 | $52.80 less than Idaho at the low end |
| North Carolina | $449 to $924 | $26.40 less than Idaho at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Idaho 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 Idaho
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $14.22 | $17.11 | $21.05 | $27.68 | $31.16 | $23.19 |
| Tapers | $17.76 | $23.40 | $27.74 | $30.20 | $44.77 | $28.85 |
| Installers, yearly | $29,578 | $35,589 | $43,784 | $57,574 | $64,813 | $48,240 |
| US installers | $18.49 | $22.81 | $28.33 | $35.69 | $49.04 | $30.58 |
| US tapers | $21.00 | $25.35 | $32.82 | $42.57 | $51.50 | $34.96 |
Half of the installers in Idaho earn between $17.11 and $27.68 an hour, for a mean of $48,240 a year. Drywall is a big trade in Idaho: a location quotient of 2.00 means installers hold 2.0 times their national share of jobs. A well-paid top end lifts the mean to $23.19, 10% above the $21.05 median. From the 10th percentile, $14.22, to the 90th, $31.16, installer pay spans $16.94 an hour, 55% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $27.74 in Idaho, 32% more than installers.