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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Maryland

Ranked 24th of 49, Maryland pays drywall installers a median of $26.29 an hour, 7% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Virginia pays $0.55 more an hour; one rung down, New Mexico pays $0.38 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 24th of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$26.297% below US $28.33
Rank by median24thof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$1.05+estimate, up to $2.15
Installers on payrolls1,47015th 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)$853
Estimated total$1,254

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 Maryland compares

Closest median wages
New Mexico $25.91, Virginia $26.84 and Nevada $25.13
22nd to 26th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Maryland
Georgia22$28.01$1.72 more
Virginia23$26.84$0.55 more
Maryland24$26.29this state
New Mexico25$25.91$0.38 less
Nevada26$25.13$1.16 less

A 12 x 12 room in Maryland

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $1.05/sq ft$554
High end, $2.15/sq ft$1,135
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
New Mexico$581 to $1,188$26.40 more than Maryland at the low end
Virginia$554 to $1,135same low end as Maryland
Nevada$581 to $1,241$26.40 more than Maryland at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Maryland labor for this room is $79.20 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 Maryland

Hourly wage percentiles, Maryland, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$18.94$22.96$26.29$29.22$35.21$26.50
Installers, yearly$39,395$47,757$54,683$60,778$73,237$55,130
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Maryland earn between $22.96 and $29.22 an hour, for a mean of $55,130 a year. With a location quotient of 1.00, installers make up about the same share of jobs in Maryland as they do nationally. The mean, $26.50, and the median, $26.29, sit within 1% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $18.94, to the 90th, $35.21, installer pay spans $16.27 an hour, 53% of the $30.55 national spread. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Maryland.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Maryland earn a mean of $26.50 an hour ($55,130 a year) and a median of $26.29, 7% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $22.96 to $29.22.