How much does a drywall installer charge per hour in North Carolina?
Typical drywall installer rate, North Carolina
$53/hr
Most drywall installers in North Carolina charge $43 to $60 an hour. A full 8-hour day runs about $424.
Updated October 2026 · Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
How we got $53
| Median drywall installer wage in North Carolina | $21.67 |
|---|---|
| × 1.4 payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance | $30.34 |
| ÷ 0.8 for hours nobody gets billed (driving, supply runs, estimates) | $37.92 |
| × 1.4 overhead (truck, tools, office) and profit | $53.09 |
| Typical rate | $53/hr |
What drywall installers earn in North Carolina
| Pay level | Wage | Charges about |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $15.11 | $37/hr |
| 25th percentile | $17.43 | $43/hr |
| Median (middle) | $21.67 | $53/hr |
| 75th percentile | $24.29 | $60/hr |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $28.93 | $71/hr |
1,520 drywall installers work in North Carolina. The middle earner makes $45,080 a year. Wages are from the BLS Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers category.
How North Carolina compares
North Carolina drywall installers earn 24% below the U.S., ranking #44 of 49 states for drywall installer pay (#1 pays the most). The typical U.S. rate is $69 an hour.
| State | Typical | Most charge |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $69/hr | $60 to $73 |
| Virginia | $66/hr | $56 to $72 |
| Maryland | $64/hr | $56 to $72 |
| Delaware | $59/hr | $46 to $72 |
| Florida | $58/hr | $46 to $64 |
| South Carolina | $53/hr | $45 to $63 |
| North Carolina | $53/hr | $43 to $60 |
| United States | $69/hr | $56 to $87 |
What drives drywall installer prices
Hanging and finishing is usually priced per sheet or per square foot. Small patches often carry a minimum charge, because each coat of mud has to dry and the job takes several trips.
Common questions
How much does a drywall installer charge per hour in North Carolina?
Most drywall installers in North Carolina charge between $43 and $60 an hour, and about $53 is typical. A full 8-hour day runs about $424. These are estimates built from what drywall installers earn in North Carolina (a median of $21.67 an hour, BLS May 2025), not quotes.
Why do drywall installers charge so much more than they earn?
The wage is only part of the cost. On top of $21.67 an hour, the employer pays payroll taxes, workers' comp and insurance (about $30.34 in total), loses paid hours to driving, supply runs and estimates that nobody is billed for (about $37.92 per billed hour), and has to cover the truck, tools, office and a profit. That's how $21.67 becomes about $53.
What's the lowest rate a drywall installer in North Carolina can charge without losing money?
About $38 an hour for a drywall installer paid the North Carolina median. That covers pay, payroll taxes, insurance and unbilled time, but nothing for the truck, tools, office or profit, so a rate below it loses money on every hour.
Other trades in North Carolina
Rates are BidFlow estimates, not quotes. Each starts with the May 2025 wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, then multiplies by 1.4 for payroll taxes and insurance, divides by 0.8 for hours that can't be billed, and multiplies by 1.4 for overhead and profit. Updated October 2026. How we calculate
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