Drywall Labor Cost in Massachusetts
At $33.42 an hour, the median installer wage in Massachusetts is 18% above the national median of $28.33, the 6th highest of 49 states. One rung up, Washington pays $1.74 more an hour; one rung down, California pays $1.75 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 6th 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 Massachusetts compares
- Closest median wages
- Washington $35.16, California $31.67 and Oregon $35.35
| State | Rank | Median | Against Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 4 | $35.35 | $1.93 more |
| Washington | 5 | $35.16 | $1.74 more |
| Massachusetts | 6 | $33.42 | this state |
| California | 7 | $31.67 | $1.75 less |
| Illinois | 8 | $30.38 | $3.04 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Massachusetts
| Low end, $1.30/sq ft | $686 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.70/sq ft | $1,426 |
| Washington | $792 to $1,663 | $105.60 more than Massachusetts at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| California | $739 to $1,558 | $52.80 more than Massachusetts at the low end |
| Oregon | $766 to $1,584 | $79.20 more than Massachusetts at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Massachusetts labor for this room is $52.80 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 Massachusetts
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $16.45 | $29.51 | $33.42 | $38.60 | $45.10 | $32.80 |
| Tapers | $18.11 | $19.71 | $31.28 | $51.49 | $55.48 | $35.37 |
| Installers, yearly | $34,216 | $61,381 | $69,514 | $80,288 | $93,808 | $68,220 |
| 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 Massachusetts earn between $29.51 and $38.60 an hour, for a mean of $68,220 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Massachusetts, with a location quotient of 0.31: their share of jobs is 31% of the national share. The mean, $32.80, and the median, $33.42, sit within 2% of each other. Pay is spread wide: the top tenth of installer earn $45.10 or more, 2.7 times the $16.45 that caps the bottom tenth. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $31.28 in Massachusetts, 6% less than installers.