How much do drywall installers make in Missouri in 2026?

The median drywall installer in Missouri earns $62,580 a year, which works out to about $30.09 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of all drywall installers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just entering the trade or working for a smaller residential contractor, you're more likely near the 25th percentile: $52,760 annually, or roughly $25.37 an hour. Experienced hands on commercial jobs or with specialized skills tend to land at the 75th percentile: $80,570 a year, around $38.74 an hour.

That $27,810 spread between the 25th and 75th percentile is not an accident. It reflects real differences in experience, job type, employer size, and the complexity of work you take on. A installer hanging board in new residential construction operates in a different world than someone doing detailed finishing work on a high-end commercial build in Kansas City or St. Louis. The commercial side consistently pays more, and it shows in these numbers.

Geography matters inside Missouri, too. The St. Louis metro and Kansas City metro areas concentrate the largest commercial construction activity in the state. Contractors in those markets are pulling bigger projects, working tighter schedules, and often willing to pay above the state median to keep skilled crews on site. Smaller markets in mid-Missouri or the Ozarks region tend to track closer to the 25th percentile, especially on residential work where margins are tighter.

Speed and quality both move the needle on pay. Drywall installation is often piece-rate or production-based on the installation side, meaning faster, accurate hangers can significantly out-earn their hourly rate on paper. On the finishing and taping side, craftsmanship commands a premium — level 5 finish work for commercial interiors or high-end residential is a skill set that not every installer has, and contractors pay more to get it.

Overtime is common in drywall, particularly when projects are behind schedule or a contractor is pushing to meet a certificate of occupancy date. At $30.09 an hour median, a standard overtime rate of 1.5x puts you at about $45.14 per hour for those extra hours. Even a few weeks of heavy overtime in a busy season can add thousands of dollars to your annual take-home.

Some workers in this trade may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The BLS OEWS data behind these figures comes from employer surveys conducted in May 2025. It captures base wages reported by employers and does not include overtime pay, bonuses, or the value of benefits like health insurance or retirement contributions. That means the real total compensation for many Missouri drywall installers — especially those with strong benefit packages — runs higher than the figures shown here.

Apprenticeship is the most reliable path to the top of this pay range. A multi-year program that covers both installation and finishing, along with blueprints and safety, builds the skills that justify 75th-percentile wages. Installers who add specialties — metal framing, fire-rated assemblies, or acoustical ceiling systems — also tend to earn more because those skills are in demand on commercial projects and not every installer has them.

If you're already in the trade and want to push past the median, the clearest levers are: move toward commercial work, develop finishing skills beyond basic tape and mud, get comfortable with metal stud framing, and target contractors who work in the St. Louis or Kansas City markets where project volume supports higher pay. Supervisory roles — lead installer, foreman, superintendent — also open up once you have years of production experience and can manage a crew.

All wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release.