Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
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 skills
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Coordination
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
Key knowledge
- Building and Construction
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Administration and Management
- Design
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
What the work involves
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
- Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners.
- Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.
- 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.
- Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.
- Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Less than a High School Diploma (41.9% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (42.1%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (35.3%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very high | Higher on contact with others than 82% of occupations compared | 88% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 74% of occupations compared | 34% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Moderate | Higher on teamwork than 54% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 74% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 89% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 86% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 51% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 71% of occupations compared | 30% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 1.1%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 8.53%
- Contact with others most of the time: 2.2%
- Constant contact with others: 88.17%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 34.12%
- Fairly important: 14.06%
- Important: 20.01%
- Very important: 1.99%
- Extremely important: 29.82%
n = 14, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 3.02%
- Important: 20.11%
- Very important: 16.53%
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 1.91%
- Limited freedom: 8.53%
- Some freedom: 35.86%
- A lot of freedom: 53.71%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 1.1%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 5%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 42.17%
- Every day: 51.73%
n = 15, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 7.95%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 1.14%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 14, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 9.44%
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 4.55%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 14, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 3.08%
- Fairly serious: 25.53%
- Serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very serious: 17.37%
- Extremely serious: 30.34%
n = 14, Incumbent 08/2026
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Glaziers
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Plasterers and Stucco Masons
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Fence Erectors
Closeness 93/100
- Analyze
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
Closeness 92/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 47-2081.00 · SOC 47-2081 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8