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Drywall Labor Cost in Kentucky

Ranked 35th of 49, Kentucky pays drywall installers a median of $23.24 an hour, 18% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Nebraska pays $0.14 more an hour; one rung down, Alabama pays $0.16 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 35th of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$23.2418% below US $28.33
Rank by median35thof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$0.90+estimate, up to $1.90
Installers on payrolls49032nd 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 Kentucky compares

Closest median wages
Nebraska $23.38, Alabama $23.08 and South Dakota $23.49
33rd to 37th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Kentucky
South Dakota33$23.49$0.25 more
Nebraska34$23.38$0.14 more
Kentucky35$23.24this state
Alabama36$23.08$0.16 less
Texas37$22.88$0.36 less

A 12 x 12 room in Kentucky

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
Nebraska$502 to $1,056$26.40 more than Kentucky at the low end
Alabama$475 to $1,003same low end as Kentucky
South Dakota$502 to $1,056$26.40 more than Kentucky at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Kentucky 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 Kentucky

Hourly wage percentiles, Kentucky, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$11.07$19.92$23.24$27.76$33.06$23.13
Installers, yearly$23,026$41,434$48,339$57,741$68,765$48,100
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Kentucky earn between $19.92 and $27.76 an hour, for a mean of $48,100 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Kentucky, with a location quotient of 0.46: their share of jobs is 46% of the national share. The mean, $23.13, and the median, $23.24, sit within a fraction of a percent of each other. Pay is spread wide: the top tenth of installer earn $33.06 or more, 3.0 times the $11.07 that caps the bottom tenth. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Kentucky.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Kentucky earn a mean of $23.13 an hour ($48,100 a year) and a median of $23.24, 18% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $19.92 to $27.76.