Drywall Labor Cost in New Mexico
Ranked 25th of 49, New Mexico pays drywall installers a median of $25.91 an hour, 9% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Maryland pays $0.38 more an hour; one rung down, Nevada pays $0.78 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 25th 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 New Mexico compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 23 | $26.84 | $0.93 more |
| Maryland | 24 | $26.29 | $0.38 more |
| New Mexico | 25 | $25.91 | this state |
| Nevada | 26 | $25.13 | $0.78 less |
| Iowa | 27 | $24.53 | $1.38 less |
A 12 x 12 room in New Mexico
| Low end, $1.10/sq ft | $581 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.25/sq ft | $1,188 |
| Maryland | $554 to $1,135 | $26.40 less than New Mexico at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $581 to $1,241 | same low end as New Mexico |
| Virginia | $554 to $1,135 | $26.40 less than New Mexico at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, New Mexico 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 New Mexico
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $18.00 | $21.00 | $25.91 | $36.06 | $37.09 | $27.47 |
| Tapers | $21.99 | $22.32 | $23.23 | $29.22 | $29.22 | $25.02 |
| Installers, yearly | $37,440 | $43,680 | $53,893 | $75,005 | $77,147 | $57,140 |
| 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 New Mexico earn between $21.00 and $36.06 an hour, for a mean of $57,140 a year. A location quotient of 1.24 puts installers 24% above their national share of jobs in New Mexico. The mean, $27.47, and the median, $25.91, sit within 6% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $18.00, to the 90th, $37.09, installer pay spans $19.09 an hour, 62% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $23.23 in New Mexico, 10% less than installers.