How much do drywall installers make in Indiana in 2026?

The median drywall installer in Indiana earns $49,810 a year, which works out to roughly $23.95 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That number sits right in the middle of the Indiana pay range — half of drywall installers here earn more, half earn less. If you're trying to figure out where your own paycheck should land, or whether to take a new job offer, that median is your best starting anchor.

At the 25th percentile, Indiana drywall installers take home $45,850 annually, or about $22.04 an hour. Workers at this end of the range are typically newer to the trade, working for smaller residential contractors, or in parts of the state with less commercial construction activity. Entry-level pay in this range isn't bad for someone still building skills, but it leaves clear room to move up quickly once you've got a few projects under your belt.

The 75th percentile sits at $63,410 a year — around $30.49 an hour. That's a meaningful jump from the median: roughly $13,600 more per year, or about $6.50 more per hour. Workers at this level tend to have several years of experience handling commercial hang work, metal framing, or specialty finish systems. They're the ones who can frame out a complicated ceiling detail or hit a tight fire-wall tape schedule without being babysat. That skill premium shows up directly in their hourly rate.

The spread from the 25th to the 75th percentile is $17,560 a year. That's not a small number — it's the difference between $22 an hour and $30 an hour for doing the same core trade. What closes that gap? Speed and accuracy on the hang, the ability to read blueprints and work from a scope, experience with metal stud framing in addition to board hanging, and a track record on larger commercial or multifamily jobs. Specialty work — resilient channel systems, shaft wall assemblies, abuse-resistant board — tends to push pay toward and beyond the 75th percentile because fewer installers can do it correctly.

Indiana's construction market varies noticeably by region. Indianapolis and its suburbs carry the heaviest commercial pipeline in the state, and that volume drives demand for experienced hangers. Fort Wayne, Evansville, and South Bend each have active residential and light commercial sectors that support steady work, though the top wages those markets support may not always match what a busy Indianapolis commercial crew can offer. Rural counties tend to be more residential-focused, where work is available but high-end commercial rates are less common.

Hours matter too. Drywall installation is physical work, and overtime — especially on commercial schedules with hard deadlines — can push actual annual earnings well above base hourly rates. A hanger working 50-hour weeks consistently throughout the year adds roughly 520 hours of overtime. At the median rate of $23.95, that's over $18,700 in additional gross pay before overtime premiums, assuming straight time. Factor in time-and-a-half on those hours and the number climbs higher. Union scale is not available for this trade and state in the current BLS data, so the figures here reflect the broader employed workforce across both union and non-union shops.

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The BLS surveys employers directly, which makes it one of the more reliable sources for trade wages. The numbers reflect actual reported pay — not self-reported job postings or crowdsourced submissions.

If you're a drywall installer in Indiana, the data suggests the clearest path to higher pay is accumulating experience on commercial and specialty work, not just putting in years. The 75th percentile is achievable for a skilled hanger with five or more years of varied project experience. Use the median as a baseline when evaluating what a contractor is offering, and push toward the upper range if you're bringing real commercial hang experience to the table.