Drywall Labor Cost in Illinois
At $30.38 an hour, the median installer wage in Illinois is 7% above the national median of $28.33, the 8th highest of 49 states. One rung up, California pays $1.29 more an hour; one rung down, Missouri pays $0.29 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 8th 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 Illinois compares
- Closest median wages
- Missouri $30.09, New Hampshire $29.79 and Colorado $29.70
| State | Rank | Median | Against Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 6 | $33.42 | $3.04 more |
| California | 7 | $31.67 | $1.29 more |
| Illinois | 8 | $30.38 | this state |
| Missouri | 9 | $30.09 | $0.29 less |
| New Hampshire | 10 | $29.79 | $0.59 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Illinois
| Low end, $1.35/sq ft | $713 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.85/sq ft | $1,505 |
| Missouri | $660 to $1,399 | $52.80 less than Illinois at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $660 to $1,399 | $52.80 less than Illinois at the low end |
| Colorado | $607 to $1,294 | $105.60 less than Illinois at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Illinois labor for this room is $79.20 more 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 Illinois
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $20.13 | $24.78 | $30.38 | $49.27 | $53.18 | $34.95 |
| Tapers | $38.09 | $49.99 | $54.41 | $54.68 | $56.01 | $51.63 |
| Installers, yearly | $41,870 | $51,542 | $63,190 | $102,482 | $110,614 | $72,690 |
| 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 Illinois earn between $24.78 and $49.27 an hour, for a mean of $72,690 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Illinois, with a location quotient of 0.23: their share of jobs is 23% of the national share. A well-paid top end lifts the mean to $34.95, 15% above the $30.38 median. Pay is spread wide: the top tenth of installer earn $53.18 or more, 2.6 times the $20.13 that caps the bottom tenth. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $54.41 in Illinois, 79% more than installers.