Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer Salary in San Francisco, CA
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $82,160 a year — 39% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $62,150 take-home, or $5,179 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median drywall and ceiling tile installer salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$9,245
- Social Security (6.2%)$5,094
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,191
- California income tax$3,411
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,068
- Take-home pay$62,150
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer pay by experience in San Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $58,010 | $27.89 | $46,507 | $3,876 |
| 25th percentile | $67,670 | $32.53 | $53,355 | $4,446 |
| Median (50th) | $82,160 | $39.50 | $62,150 | $5,179 |
| 75th percentile | $117,870 | $56.67 | $83,487 | $6,957 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $134,880 | $64.85 | $93,389 | $7,782 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $82,160 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median drywall and ceiling tile installer's $62,150 take-home pay has the buying power of $53,757 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
San Francisco, CA has 2.0× the national concentration of drywall and ceiling tile installer jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for drywall and ceiling tile installers, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #1 of 6 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $82,160 | $62,150 | $53,757 |
| 2 | San Diego, CA | $76,290 | $58,617 | $52,390 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $71,320 | $55,749 | $49,527 |
| 4 | Sacramento, CA | $63,540 | $50,537 | $47,377 |
| 5 | Riverside, CA | $61,420 | $48,998 | $46,032 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $62,800 | $50,006 | $44,032 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 6 metros →
About the job: 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.
- Typical education
- No formal educational credential
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +2.5% (about average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installer salaries elsewhere in California
- San Diego, CA — $76,290
- Sacramento, CA — $63,540
- Riverside, CA — $61,420
- Los Angeles, CA — $62,800
Frequently asked questions
How much does a drywall and ceiling tile installer make in San Francisco, CA?
The median drywall and ceiling tile installer salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $82,160 a year, or about $39.50 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $67,670 and $117,870.
What is a drywall and ceiling tile installer’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $82,160 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $62,150 a year ($5,179 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,479 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a drywall and ceiling tile installer?
Pay here is 39% above the national median of $58,930. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $53,757 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #1 of 6 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a drywall and ceiling tile installer afford rent in San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 51% of a median drywall and ceiling tile installer’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in San Francisco, CA
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- First-Line Supervisor of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers — $120,810
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- Carpenter — $89,200
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- Construction Laborer — $72,610
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