Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers vs Paperhangers: $59K vs $52K Median Pay

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers vs Paperhangers: what changes?

Consider Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers if you want to apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings. Consider Paperhangers if you would rather cover interior walls or ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, or attach advertising posters on surfaces such as walls and billboards. Both list no formal educational credential; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers and Paperhangers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

National median pay (2025): $58,930
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 6,600

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers brief

Paperhangers

National median pay (2025): $52,140
Route into the job: No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 200

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (2,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Paperhangers brief

How the national numbers differ

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers has the edge on annual openings

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers is at 6,600 annual openings, compared with 200 annual openings for Paperhangers.

Paperhangers has the edge on projected growth

Paperhangers is at 4.3% projected growth, compared with 2.5% projected growth for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers.

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers has the edge on median pay

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers is at $58,930, compared with $52,140 for Paperhangers.

54.4/ 100

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

40.3/ 100

Paperhangers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers vs Paperhangers

Dimension	Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	Paperhangers
Median pay (2025)	$58,930	$52,140
Pay percentile	45.7 percentile	37.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.5%	4.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	6,600	200
2025 employment	102,200	2,300
How you qualify	No formal educational credential; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	No formal educational credential; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers brief Read Paperhangers brief

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers vs Paperhangers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

Paperhangers

How the national numbers differ

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers has the edge on annual openings

Paperhangers has the edge on projected growth

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers has the edge on median pay

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers vs Paperhangers

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