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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Tennessee

Ranked 38th of 49, Tennessee pays drywall installers a median of $22.84 an hour, 19% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Texas pays $0.04 more an hour; one rung down, Louisiana pays $0.04 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 38th of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$22.8419% below US $28.33
Rank by median38thof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$0.95+estimate, up to $1.95
Installers on payrolls1,15017th 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)$773
Estimated total$1,174

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 Tennessee compares

Closest median wages
Louisiana $22.80, Texas $22.88 and Rhode Island $22.65
36th to 40th of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Tennessee
Alabama36$23.08$0.24 more
Texas37$22.88$0.04 more
Tennessee38$22.84this state
Louisiana39$22.80$0.04 less
Rhode Island40$22.65$0.19 less

A 12 x 12 room in Tennessee

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $0.95/sq ft$502
High end, $1.95/sq ft$1,030
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
Louisiana$475 to $1,003$26.40 less than Tennessee at the low end
Texas$502 to $1,030same low end as Tennessee
Rhode Island$581 to $1,188$79.20 more than Tennessee at the low end

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

Hourly wage percentiles, Tennessee, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$17.90$18.98$22.84$27.18$31.56$23.90
Installers, yearly$37,232$39,478$47,507$56,534$65,645$49,710
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Tennessee earn between $18.98 and $27.18 an hour, for a mean of $49,710 a year. The location quotient of 0.65 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in Tennessee than nationally, 65% of it. The mean, $23.90, and the median, $22.84, sit within 5% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $17.90, to the 90th, $31.56, installer pay spans $13.66 an hour, 45% of the $30.55 national spread. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Tennessee.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Tennessee earn a mean of $23.90 an hour ($49,710 a year) and a median of $22.84, 19% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $18.98 to $27.18.