Across U.S. metros, drywall installers typically earn $5,555 more a year than insulation installers (11%). In the 75 metros where BLS publishes both, drywall installers earn more in 52 and insulation installers in 23.
| Drywall Installer | Insulation Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical metro median pay | $53,860 | $48,305 |
| Lowest metro median | $28,420 | $27,040 |
| Highest metro median | $105,910 | $80,000 |
| Job growth 2025–35 (U.S.) | +2.5% | +2.4% |
| Openings per year (U.S.) | 6,600 | 3,000 |
| Self-employed | 19% | 2% |
| Typical education | No formal educational credential | No formal educational credential |
| Typical training | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
| Injury rate per 10k workers (U.S.) | 187 | 312 |
| Metros with pay data | 169 | 106 |
On safety, insulation installers report more injuries that cause missed work (312 vs. 187 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 drywall installers out-earn insulation installers the most Our calculation
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
Where insulation installers out-earn drywall installers the most
Gap in median yearly pay, same metro.
State by state Government data
Using statewide pay, drywall installers earn more in 32 states and insulation installers in 15. The gap favors drywall installers most in New Jersey ($22,330) and insulation installers most in Mississippi ($25,570).
BLS OEWS statewide medians, May 2025.
How the work differs Government data
The biggest differences: Indoors with heating and air conditioning: sometimes for drywall installers, occasionally for insulation installers. Working at heights: very often for drywall installers, often for insulation installers.
| Drywall Installer | Insulation Installer | |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoors, in all kinds of weather | Often | Often |
| Indoors with heating and air conditioning | Sometimes | Occasionally |
| Very hot or cold conditions | Often | Often |
| Working at heights | Very often | Often |
| Climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles | Often | Sometimes |
| Cramped spaces and awkward positions | Sometimes | Often |
| Loud noise | 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
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.
Insulation Installer
Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.
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