Drywall Labor Cost in Michigan
Installer pay in Michigan is close to the national norm: a median of $28.10 an hour is 1% below the US median of $28.33, which places it 21st of 49 states. One rung up, Vermont pays $0.66 more an hour; one rung down, Georgia pays $0.09 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 21st 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 Michigan compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 19 | $28.83 | $0.73 more |
| Vermont | 20 | $28.76 | $0.66 more |
| Michigan | 21 | $28.10 | this state |
| Georgia | 22 | $28.01 | $0.09 less |
| Virginia | 23 | $26.84 | $1.26 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Michigan
| Low end, $1.10/sq ft | $581 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.30/sq ft | $1,214 |
| Georgia | $581 to $1,188 | same low end as Michigan |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $581 to $1,188 | same low end as Michigan |
| Wisconsin | $607 to $1,241 | $26.40 more than Michigan at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Michigan labor for this room is $52.80 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 Michigan
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $20.50 | $22.82 | $28.10 | $34.00 | $37.00 | $28.14 |
| Tapers | $29.28 | $29.55 | $30.59 | $30.71 | $33.95 | $30.32 |
| Installers, yearly | $42,640 | $47,466 | $58,448 | $70,720 | $76,960 | $58,520 |
| 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 Michigan earn between $22.82 and $34.00 an hour, for a mean of $58,520 a year. Installers are a thin slice of the workforce in Michigan, with a location quotient of 0.45: their share of jobs is 45% of the national share. The mean, $28.14, and the median, $28.10, sit within a fraction of a percent of each other. From the 10th percentile, $20.50, to the 90th, $37.00, installer pay spans $16.50 an hour, 54% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $30.59 in Michigan, 9% more than installers.