Drywall Labor Cost in Wisconsin
Installer pay in Wisconsin is close to the national norm: a median of $28.83 an hour is 2% above the US median of $28.33, which places it 19th of 49 states. One rung up, Maine pays $0.06 more an hour; one rung down, Vermont pays $0.07 less.
- BLS May 2025 data
- 19th 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 Wisconsin compares
| State | Rank | Median | Against Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | 17 | $28.92 | $0.09 more |
| Maine | 18 | $28.89 | $0.06 more |
| Wisconsin | 19 | $28.83 | this state |
| Vermont | 20 | $28.76 | $0.07 less |
| Michigan | 21 | $28.10 | $0.73 less |
A 12 x 12 room in Wisconsin
| Low end, $1.15/sq ft | $607 |
|---|---|
| High end, $2.35/sq ft | $1,241 |
| Maine | $581 to $1,241 | $26.40 less than Wisconsin at the low end |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $581 to $1,188 | $26.40 less than Wisconsin at the low end |
| Montana | $607 to $1,241 | same low end as Wisconsin |
Against the US range of $634 to $1,320, Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
| Occupation | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installers | $18.50 | $23.05 | $28.83 | $33.42 | $41.03 | $28.86 |
| Tapers | $10.33 | $23.75 | $27.81 | $29.11 | $43.11 | $26.93 |
| Installers, yearly | $38,480 | $47,944 | $59,966 | $69,514 | $85,342 | $60,020 |
| 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 Wisconsin earn between $23.05 and $33.42 an hour, for a mean of $60,020 a year. The location quotient of 0.72 means installers hold a smaller share of jobs in Wisconsin than nationally, 72% of it. The mean, $28.86, and the median, $28.83, sit within a fraction of a percent of each other. From the 10th percentile, $18.50, to the 90th, $41.03, installer pay spans $22.53 an hour, 74% of the $30.55 national spread. Tapers, who tape and finish the joints, earn a median of $27.81 in Wisconsin, 4% less than installers.