Drywall Labor Cost in North Carolina
North Carolina is one of the lower-paying states for drywall work: its median installer wage of $21.67 an hour is 24% under the national median, 6th lowest of 49. One rung up, North Dakota pays $0.02 more an hour; one rung down, Arkansas pays $0.25 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 44th 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 North Carolina compares
- Closest median wages
- North Dakota $21.69, South Carolina $21.80 and Arkansas $21.42
| State | Rank | Median | Against North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | 42 | $21.80 | $0.13 more |
| North Dakota | 43 | $21.69 | $0.02 more |
| North Carolina | 44 | $21.67 | this state |
| Arkansas | 45 | $21.42 | $0.25 less |
| Wyoming | 46 | $21.15 | $0.52 less |
A 12 x 12 room in North Carolina
| Low end, $0.85/sq ft | $449 |
|---|---|
| High end, $1.75/sq ft | $924 |
| North Dakota | $475 to $977 | $26.40 more than North Carolina at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $475 to $1,003 | $26.40 more than North Carolina at the low end |
| Arkansas | $422 to $898 | $26.40 less than North Carolina at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, North Carolina labor for this room is $184.80 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 North Carolina
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $15.11 | $17.43 | $21.67 | $24.29 | $28.93 | $21.66 |
| Tapers | $16.71 | $18.12 | $22.01 | $22.01 | $22.13 | $20.03 |
| Installers, yearly | $31,429 | $36,254 | $45,074 | $50,523 | $60,174 | $45,060 |
| 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 North Carolina earn between $17.43 and $24.29 an hour, for a mean of $45,060 a year. The location quotient of 0.58 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in North Carolina than nationally, 58% of it. The mean, $21.66, and the median, $21.67, sit within a fraction of a percent of each other. From the 10th percentile, $15.11, to the 90th, $28.93, installer pay spans $13.82 an hour, 45% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $22.01 in North Carolina, 2% more than installers.