Across U.S. metros, carpenters typically earn $2,295 more a year than drywall installers (4%). In the 169 metros where BLS publishes both, carpenters earn more in 124 and drywall installers in 45.
| Carpenter | Drywall Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical metro median pay | $56,155 | $53,860 |
| Lowest metro median | $29,750 | $28,420 |
| Highest metro median | $95,280 | $105,910 |
| Job growth 2025–35 (U.S.) | +3.9% | +2.5% |
| Openings per year (U.S.) | 62,800 | 6,600 |
| Self-employed | 25% | 19% |
| Typical education | High school diploma or equivalent | No formal educational credential |
| Typical training | Apprenticeship | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| Injury rate per 10k workers (U.S.) | 165 | 187 |
| Metros with pay data | 390 | 169 |
On safety, drywall installers report more injuries that cause missed work (187 vs. 165 per 10,000 full-time workers, national 2023–24).
Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 (typical = median across metros). Growth, openings, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Injuries: BLS SOII 2023–24.
Where carpenters out-earn drywall installers the most Our calculation
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
Where drywall installers out-earn carpenters the most
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
State by state Government data
Using statewide pay, carpenters earn more in 38 states and drywall installers in 11. The gap favors carpenters most in Kansas ($17,070) and drywall installers most in Hawaii ($19,550).
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
How the work differs Government data
The biggest differences: Working at heights: often for carpenters, very often for drywall installers. Climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles: sometimes for carpenters, often for drywall installers.
| Carpenter | Drywall Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoors, in all kinds of weather | Often | Often |
| Indoors with heating and air conditioning | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Very hot or cold conditions | Sometimes | Often |
| Working at heights | Often | Very often |
| Climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles | Sometimes | Often |
| Cramped spaces and awkward positions | Occasionally | Sometimes |
| Loud noise | Very often | Often |
| Hazardous conditions | Occasionally | Occasionally |
| Standing, bending, kneeling and walking | Often | Often |
| Sitting | Rarely | Rarely |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, national.
What each trade does
Carpenter
Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.
Drywall Installer
Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings. Apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. Materials may be of decorative quality. Includes lathers who fasten wooden, metal, or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings to provide support base for plaster, fireproofing, or acoustical material.
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