Drywall Labor Cost in South Dakota
Ranked 33rd of 49, South Dakota pays drywall installers a median of $23.49 an hour, 17% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Florida pays $0.05 more an hour; one rung down, Nebraska pays $0.11 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 33rd 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 South Dakota compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 31 | $23.95 | $0.46 more |
| Florida | 32 | $23.54 | $0.05 more |
| South Dakota | 33 | $23.49 | this state |
| Nebraska | 34 | $23.38 | $0.11 less |
| Kentucky | 35 | $23.24 | $0.25 less |
A 12 x 12 room in South Dakota
| Low end, $0.95/sq ft | $502 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.00/sq ft | $1,056 |
| Florida | $475 to $1,003 | $26.40 less than South Dakota at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $502 to $1,056 | same low end as South Dakota |
| Kentucky | $475 to $1,003 | $26.40 less than South Dakota at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, South Dakota labor for this room is $132.00 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 South Dakota
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $20.39 | $23.07 | $23.49 | $27.92 | $28.55 | $24.40 |
| Installers, yearly | $42,411 | $47,986 | $48,859 | $58,074 | $59,384 | $50,750 |
| US installers | $18.49 | $22.81 | $28.33 | $35.69 | $49.04 | $30.58 |
Half of the installers in South Dakota earn between $23.07 and $27.92 an hour, for a mean of $50,750 a year. A location quotient of 1.49 puts installers 49% above their national share of jobs in South Dakota. The mean, $24.40, and the median, $23.49, sit within 4% of each other. Pay is tightly bunched, with just $8.16 between the 10th and 90th percentiles, against $30.55 nationally. BLS publishes no taper estimate for South Dakota.