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Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
2 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, trained hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 3,900 hours, for Acoustical Carpenter (Alternate Title: Acoustical Specialist) (hybrid).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustical Carpenter (Alternate Title: Acoustical Specialist) | 0861 | Hybrid: 5,200 to 8,000 hours Hybrid (V2): 3,900 to 6,000 hours Hybrid (V3): 3,900 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| DRY-WALL APPLICATOR | 0145 | Hybrid: 3,900 to 6,000 hours Hybrid (V2): 5,200 to 8,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What drywall and ceiling tile installers earn, by state
Hawaii has the highest state median for drywall and ceiling tile installers ($104,830) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($28,420), across the 50 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $104,830 | $50.40 | 800 |
| New Jersey | $75,080 | $36.09 | 1,340 |
| Alaska | $73,690 | $35.43 | 100 |
| Oregon | $73,530 | $35.35 | 1,680 |
| Washington | $73,130 | $35.16 | 2,670 |
| Massachusetts | $69,500 | $33.42 | 590 |
| California | $65,880 | $31.67 | 27,280 |
| Illinois | $63,180 | $30.38 | 740 |
| Missouri | $62,580 | $30.09 | 550 |
| New Hampshire | $61,960 | $29.79 | 370 |
| Colorado | $61,780 | $29.70 | 1,560 |
| Ohio | $61,420 | $29.53 | 1,680 |
| Minnesota | $61,290 | $29.46 | 1,050 |
| New York | $61,280 | $29.46 | 2,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,160 | $29.40 | 1,690 |
| Connecticut | $60,480 | $29.08 | 300 |
| Montana | $60,140 | $28.92 | 170 |
| Maine | $60,080 | $28.89 | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $59,970 | $28.83 | 1,140 |
| Vermont | $59,820 | $28.76 | 90 |
| Michigan | $58,440 | $28.10 | 1,050 |
| Georgia | $58,260 | $28.01 | 690 |
| Virginia | $55,840 | $26.84 | 2,480 |
| Maryland | $54,680 | $26.29 | 1,470 |
| New Mexico | $53,900 | $25.91 | 580 |
| Nevada | $52,280 | $25.13 | 2,980 |
| Iowa | $51,030 | $24.53 | 290 |
| Utah | $51,020 | $24.53 | 2,610 |
| Arizona | $50,290 | $24.18 | 2,590 |
| Delaware | $50,170 | $24.12 | 350 |
| Indiana | $49,810 | $23.95 | 680 |
| Florida | $48,970 | $23.54 | 6,000 |
| South Dakota | $48,850 | $23.49 | 360 |
| Nebraska | $48,620 | $23.38 | 770 |
| Kentucky | $48,340 | $23.24 | 490 |
| Alabama | $48,000 | $23.08 | 650 |
| Texas | $47,590 | $22.88 | 5,760 |
| Tennessee | $47,510 | $22.84 | 1,150 |
| Louisiana | $47,420 | $22.80 | 310 |
| Rhode Island | $47,110 | $22.65 | 440 |
| Oklahoma | $46,080 | $22.15 | 280 |
| South Carolina | $45,340 | $21.80 | 340 |
| North Dakota | $45,110 | $21.69 | 130 |
| North Carolina | $45,080 | $21.67 | 1,520 |
| Arkansas | $44,550 | $21.42 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $43,990 | $21.15 | 140 |
| Idaho | $43,790 | $21.05 | 920 |
| Kansas | $39,890 | $19.18 | 650 |
| Mississippi | $37,310 | $17.94 | 110 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,420 | $13.66 | 320 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).