Across U.S. metros, concrete finishers typically earn $3,385 more a year than drywall installers (6%). In the 167 metros where BLS publishes both, concrete finishers earn more in 105 and drywall installers in 62.
| Concrete Finisher | Drywall Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical metro median pay | $57,245 | $53,860 |
| Lowest metro median | $27,610 | $28,420 |
| Highest metro median | $104,450 | $105,910 |
| Job growth 2025–35 (U.S.) | +1.6% | +2.5% |
| Openings per year (U.S.) | 13,600 | 6,600 |
| Self-employed | 2% | 19% |
| Typical education | No formal educational credential | No formal educational credential |
| Typical training | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
| Injury rate per 10k workers (U.S.) | 25 | 187 |
| Metros with pay data | 334 | 169 |
On safety, drywall installers report more injuries that cause missed work (187 vs. 25 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 concrete finishers out-earn drywall installers the most Our calculation
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
Where drywall installers out-earn concrete finishers the most
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
State by state Government data
Using statewide pay, concrete finishers earn more in 30 states and drywall installers in 19. The gap favors concrete finishers most in Alaska ($19,270) and drywall installers most in New Jersey ($13,670).
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
How the work differs Government data
The biggest differences: Climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles: occasionally for concrete finishers, often for drywall installers. Working at heights: occasionally for concrete finishers, very often for drywall installers.
| Concrete Finisher | Drywall Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoors, in all kinds of weather | Very often | Often |
| Indoors with heating and air conditioning | Rarely | Sometimes |
| Very hot or cold conditions | Very often | Often |
| Working at heights | Occasionally | Very often |
| Climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles | Occasionally | Often |
| Cramped spaces and awkward positions | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Loud noise | Very often | Often |
| Hazardous conditions | Occasionally | Occasionally |
| Standing, bending, kneeling and walking | Very often | Often |
| Sitting | Rarely | Rarely |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, national.
What each trade does
Concrete Finisher
Smooth and finish surfaces of poured concrete, such as floors, walks, sidewalks, roads, or curbs using a variety of hand and power tools. Align forms for sidewalks, curbs, or gutters; patch voids; and use saws to cut expansion joints.
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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