Drywall Labor Cost in Kansas
Kansas is one of the lower-paying states for drywall work: its median installer wage of $19.18 an hour is 32% under the national median, 2nd lowest of 49. One rung up, Idaho pays $1.87 more an hour; one rung down, Mississippi pays $1.24 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 48th 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 Kansas compares
- Closest median wages
- Mississippi $17.94, Idaho $21.05 and West Virginia $20.00 (tapers)
| State | Rank | Median | Against Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | 45 | $21.42 | $2.24 more |
| Wyoming | 46 | $21.15 | $1.97 more |
| Idaho | 47 | $21.05 | $1.87 more |
| Kansas | 48 | $19.18 | this state |
| Mississippi | 49 | $17.94 | $1.24 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Kansas
| Low end, $0.85/sq ft | $449 |
|---|---|
| High end, $1.80/sq ft | $950 |
| Mississippi | $396 to $818 | $52.80 less than Kansas at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| Idaho | $475 to $1,003 | $26.40 more than Kansas at the low end |
| West Virginia | $370 to $766 | $79.20 less than Kansas at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Kansas labor for this room is $184.80 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 Kansas
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $17.25 | $17.25 | $19.18 | $26.89 | $29.52 | $21.89 |
| Tapers | $23.99 | $23.99 | $35.63 | $38.96 | $38.96 | $32.48 |
| Installers, yearly | $35,880 | $35,880 | $39,894 | $55,931 | $61,402 | $45,520 |
| 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 Kansas earn between $17.25 and $26.89 an hour, for a mean of $45,520 a year. The location quotient of 0.85 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in Kansas than nationally, 85% of it. A well-paid top end lifts the mean to $21.89, 14% above the $19.18 median. From the 10th percentile, $17.25, to the 90th, $29.52, installer pay spans $12.27 an hour, 40% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $35.63 in Kansas, 86% more than installers.