Drywall Installers in the La Crosse area earn a median of $54,830 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #79 of 169 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Eau Claire and Madison.
It's one of 4 Wisconsin metros with published pay for this trade; see drywall installers across Wisconsin.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for drywall installers here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is lower than in most metros (2.9%) and the population is growing slowly (+0.4% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 342 one-person building finishing work businesses averaging $56,433 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $70/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
La Crosse scorecard for drywall installers Our calculation
Grades compare La Crosse with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($53,860).
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among drywall installers in La Crosse.
What the pay is really worth in La Crosse Our calculation
Prices in La Crosse run 8% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,748 would in a typical place, ranking #61 of 168 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What drywall installers do
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.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- Hang drywall panels on metal frameworks of walls and ceilings in offices, schools, or other large buildings, using lifts or hoists to adjust panel heights, when necessary.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, drywall installer jobs are projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 6,600 openings a year. About 19% are self-employed.
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 Wisconsin Official source
The main state licensing office in Wisconsin is the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. It can point you to the right license for drywall installers.
Official Wisconsin licensing site ↗
Requirements for drywall installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
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.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying WI metros for drywall installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| MadisonWISCONSIN · WI | $63,500 | $65,271 | 170 |
| MilwaukeeWISCONSIN · WI | $60,800 | $62,721 | 340 |
| Eau ClaireWISCONSIN · WI | $59,220 | $63,817 | 40 |
| La CrosseWISCONSIN · WI | $54,830 | $59,748 | 30 |
See every metro in Wisconsin.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The La Crosse area's unemployment rate was 2.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just drywall installers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 3.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the La Crosse area is 19 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% drive alone, 0% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The La Crosse area's population grew 0.4% from 2020 to 2025 (170,493 → 171,182), ranking #280 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +1,044) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in La Crosse
The La Crosse area has about 78,106 homes. 53% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $274,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in La Crosse are down 31% from 2021 to 2025 (694 → 476).
In 2025 the La Crosse area approved permits for 476 new homes (318 single-family), or 2.8 per 1,000 residents, ranking #234 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 342 one-person businesses (no employees) in building finishing work, averaging $56,433 a year in revenue before expenses. See how La Crosse compares among the best cities to start a drywall installer business.
They compete with 79 building finishing work companies that have employees (about 376 workers in total). 68% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in La Crosse Government data
In an average year, La Crosse has 18 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 141 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 68 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 46 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 84°F and winter nights 14°F. That matters for drywall installers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, La Crosse Muni Airport, WI station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $54,830 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get drywall installer pricing & estimate templates →Compare La Crosse with another city →
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ToolLa Crosse budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the La Crosse metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank La Crosse against every other metro for drywall installers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.