Drywall Labor Cost in Utah
Ranked 27th of 49 (tied with Iowa), Utah pays drywall installers a median of $24.53 an hour, 13% below the US median of $28.33. Iowa shares that median, but Utah has the lower mean, $25.35 against $25.59.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 27th 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 Utah compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against Utah |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 26 | $25.13 | $0.60 more |
| Iowa | 27 | $24.53 | same |
| Utah | 27 | $24.53 | this state |
| Arizona | 29 | $24.18 | $0.35 less |
| Delaware | 30 | $24.12 | $0.41 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Utah
| Low end, $1.00/sq ft | $528 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.05/sq ft | $1,082 |
| Iowa | $528 to $1,109 | same low end as Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $528 to $1,082 | same low end as Utah |
| Delaware | $502 to $1,056 | $26.40 less than Utah at the low end |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Utah labor for this room is $105.60 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 Utah
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $17.86 | $21.74 | $24.53 | $28.71 | $33.13 | $25.35 |
| Tapers | $18.46 | $24.18 | $25.45 | $27.66 | $35.04 | $26.64 |
| Installers, yearly | $37,149 | $45,219 | $51,022 | $59,717 | $68,910 | $52,720 |
| 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 Utah earn between $21.74 and $28.71 an hour, for a mean of $52,720 a year. Drywall is a big trade in Utah: a location quotient of 2.81 means installers hold 2.8 times their national share of jobs. The mean, $25.35, and the median, $24.53, sit within 3% of each other. From the 10th percentile, $17.86, to the 90th, $33.13, installer pay spans $15.27 an hour, 50% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $25.45 in Utah, 4% more than installers.