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DrywallPlanner

Drywall Labor Cost in Louisiana

Ranked 39th of 49, Louisiana pays drywall installers a median of $22.80 an hour, 20% below the US median of $28.33. One rung up, Tennessee pays $0.04 more an hour; one rung down, Rhode Island pays $0.15 less.

  • BLS May 2025 data
  • 39th of 49 by median wage

By · Updated

Median installer wage$22.8020% below US $28.33
Rank by median39thof 49 states
Labor per sq ft$0.90+estimate, up to $1.90
Installers on payrolls31038th 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)$746
Estimated total$1,147

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 Louisiana compares

Closest median wages
Tennessee $22.84, Texas $22.88 and Rhode Island $22.65
37th to 41st of 49 by median installer wage
StateRankMedianAgainst Louisiana
Texas37$22.88$0.08 more
Tennessee38$22.84$0.04 more
Louisiana39$22.80this state
Rhode Island40$22.65$0.15 less
Oklahoma41$22.15$0.65 less

A 12 x 12 room in Louisiana

384 sq ft of 8 ft walls plus 144 of ceiling
Low end, $0.90/sq ft$475
High end, $1.90/sq ft$1,003
The same room in the states with the closest median wages
Tennessee$502 to $1,030$26.40 more than Louisiana at the low end
Texas$502 to $1,030$26.40 more than Louisiana at the low end
Rhode Island$581 to $1,188$105.60 more than Louisiana at the low end

Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Louisiana labor for this room is $158.40 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 Louisiana

Hourly wage percentiles, Louisiana, BLS May 2025
Occupation10th25thMedian75th90thMean
Installers$13.61$16.01$22.80$29.20$37.38$23.24
Installers, yearly$28,309$33,301$47,424$60,736$77,750$48,340
US installers$18.49$22.81$28.33$35.69$49.04$30.58

Half of the installers in Louisiana earn between $16.01 and $29.20 an hour, for a mean of $48,340 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Louisiana, with a location quotient of 0.30: their share of jobs is 30% of the national share. The mean, $23.24, and the median, $22.80, sit within 2% of each other. Pay is spread wide: the top tenth of installer earn $37.38 or more, 2.7 times the $13.61 that caps the bottom tenth. BLS publishes no taper estimate for Louisiana.

Frequently asked questions

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Louisiana earn a mean of $23.24 an hour ($48,340 a year) and a median of $22.80, 20% below the US median of $28.33. The middle half earn $16.01 to $29.20.