Drywall Labor Cost in Arkansas
Arkansas is one of the lower-paying states for drywall work: its median installer wage of $21.42 an hour is 24% under the national median, 5th lowest of 49. One rung up, North Carolina pays $0.25 more an hour; one rung down, Wyoming pays $0.27 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 45th 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 Arkansas compares
- Closest median wages
- North Carolina $21.67, North Dakota $21.69 and Wyoming $21.15
| State | Rank | Median | Against Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 43 | $21.69 | $0.27 more |
| North Carolina | 44 | $21.67 | $0.25 more |
| Arkansas | 45 | $21.42 | this state |
| Wyoming | 46 | $21.15 | $0.27 less |
| Idaho | 47 | $21.05 | $0.37 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Arkansas
| Low end, $0.80/sq ft | $422 |
|---|---|
| High end, $1.70/sq ft | $898 |
| North Carolina | $449 to $924 | $26.40 more than Arkansas at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | $475 to $977 | $52.80 more than Arkansas at the low end |
| Wyoming | $475 to $977 | $52.80 more than Arkansas at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Arkansas labor for this room is $211.20 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 Arkansas
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $16.60 | $17.82 | $21.42 | $22.65 | $23.46 | $20.87 |
| Installers, yearly | $34,528 | $37,066 | $44,554 | $47,112 | $48,797 | $43,410 |
| US installers | $18.49 | $22.81 | $28.33 | $35.69 | $49.04 | $30.58 |
Half of the installers in Arkansas earn between $17.82 and $22.65 an hour, for a mean of $43,410 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Arkansas, with a location quotient of 0.34: their share of jobs is 34% of the national share. The mean, $20.87, and the median, $21.42, sit within 3% of each other. Pay is tightly bunched, with just $6.86 between the 10th and 90th percentiles, against $30.55 nationally. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Arkansas.