Statewide pay Government data
Drywall installers in Rhode Island earn a statewide median of $47,110 a year, 13% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #40 of 49 states. About 440 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Rhode Island
See all states on the drywall installers nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes drywall installer pay for 1 Rhode Island metro: Providence.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProvidenceRHODE ISLAND · RI | $53,340 | $52,411 | 520 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
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.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 6,600 openings a year. Typical training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, drywall installers have 187 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.2× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often drywall installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Rhode Island Official source
The main state licensing office in Rhode Island is the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for drywall installers.
Official Rhode Island licensing site ↗
Requirements for drywall installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 16.1% of wage and salary workers in Rhode Island were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#5 of 51 states and D.C.), and 17.5% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only drywall installers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Rhode Island
All trades in Rhode Island.