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Drywall Installation

Types of Degrees Drywall Installation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Drywall Installation can earn 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

Programs in 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

According to O*NET, a major in 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

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drywall Installation graduates include:

• Suction Dredge Pipe Line Placing Supervisor
• Sewer Systems Supervisor
• Bailer Tenders’ Supervisor
• Building Insulation Supervisor
• Site Superintendent
• Crew Foreman
• Terrazzo Supervisor
• Labor Gang Supervisor
• Prefabricated Homes Field Assembly Supervisor
• Asphalt Paving Supervisor
• Tank Builder Supervisor
• Bricklayer Supervisor
• Carpenter Supervisor
• Steam Distribution Supervisor
• Building Construction Superintendent

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?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Drywall Installation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrician	30,349
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	733
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Mason/Masonry	378
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312

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.