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Drywall Installation

Types of Degrees Drywall Installation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Drywall Installation may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	136
Associate’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	112

What Drywall Installation Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Drywall Installation build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Drywall Installation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Drywall Installation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Drywall Installation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Drywall Installation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Drywall Installation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.8 / 7
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others	3.8 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Drywall Installation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Oracle Primavera Systems	Project management software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Inventory tracking software	Inventory management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drywall Installation graduates include:

• Rigging Supervisor
• Superintendent
• Reinforced Steel Placing Supervisor
• Highway Maintenance Supervisor
• Sign Builder Supervisor
• Sanitary Landfill Supervisor
• Right-of-Way Maintenance Supervisor
• Chimney Construction Supervisor
• Segmental Paving Supervisor
• Plastering Supervisor
• Pipelines Supervisor
• Labor Crew Supervisor
• Wrecking Supervisor
• House Mover Supervisor
• Building Repair Maintenance Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Drywall Installation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	31.5%
Less than a high school diploma	26.3%
Postsecondary certificate	17.6%
Some college courses	9.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.0%
Bachelor’s degree	7.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Drywall Installation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 98.8% of Drywall Installation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3	1.2%
Men	251	98.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Drywall Installation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	37	14.6%
Asian	7	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino	135	53.1%
Black or African American	13	5.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.4%
Two or More Races	11	4.3%
Race Unknown	47	18.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Drywall Installation Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Drywall Installation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Drywall Installation Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Drywall Installation graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	46.04
Building Construction Technology/Technician	46.0415
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	46.0499
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	46.0412
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	46.0403
Building/Property Maintenance	46.0401
Carpet, Floor, and Tile Worker	46.0413
Concrete Finishing/Concrete Finisher	46.0402
Glazier	46.0406
Insulator	46.0414
Metal Building Assembly/Assembler	46.0411
Painting/Painter and Wall Coverer	46.0408

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.