Drywall Labor Cost in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania sits in the upper half of the ranking, 15th of 49, with installers earning a median of $29.40 an hour, 4% more than the US median of $28.33. One rung up, New York pays $0.06 more an hour; one rung down, Connecticut pays $0.32 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 15th 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 Pennsylvania compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 13 | $29.46 | $0.06 more |
| New York | 13 | $29.46 | $0.06 more |
| Pennsylvania | 15 | $29.40 | this state |
| Connecticut | 16 | $29.08 | $0.32 less |
| Montana | 17 | $28.92 | $0.48 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Pennsylvania
| Low end, $1.15/sq ft | $607 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.45/sq ft | $1,294 |
| Minnesota | $660 to $1,373 | $52.80 more than Pennsylvania at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $686 to $1,426 | $79.20 more than Pennsylvania at the low end |
| Ohio | $607 to $1,267 | same low end as Pennsylvania |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Pennsylvania labor for this room is $26.40 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 Pennsylvania
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $18.95 | $23.28 | $29.40 | $34.01 | $37.49 | $29.80 |
| Tapers | $18.10 | $22.29 | $39.54 | $46.37 | $50.57 | $36.68 |
| Installers, yearly | $39,416 | $48,422 | $61,152 | $70,741 | $77,979 | $61,980 |
| 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 Pennsylvania earn between $23.28 and $34.01 an hour, for a mean of $61,980 a year. The location quotient of 0.52 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in Pennsylvania than nationally, 52% of it. The mean, $29.80, and the median, $29.40, sit within 1% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $18.95, to the 90th, $37.49, installer pay spans $18.54 an hour, 61% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $39.54 in Pennsylvania, 34% more than installers.