Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

Wages
In 2021, the average annual wage in Alabama was $38,230 with most people making between $30,180 and $48,060.
Wages by Industry
  • Building Finishing Contractors $41,700.00
  • Residential Building Construction $39,770.00
Education Required
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Common Majors
  • Drywall Installation/Drywaller
About the job

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, fire-proofing, or acoustical material.

What you'll do
    • Apply cement to backs of tiles and press tiles into place, aligning them with layout marks or joints of previously laid tile.
    • Apply or mount acoustical tile or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings or walls of buildings to reduce reflection of sound or to decorate rooms.
    • Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation.
    • Install metal lath where plaster applications will be exposed to weather or water, or for curved or irregular surfaces.
    • Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks.
    • Nail channels or wood furring strips to surfaces to provide mounting for tile.
    • Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.
    • Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls.
    • Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.
    • Wash concrete surfaces before mounting tile to increase adhesive qualities of surfaces, using washing soda and zinc sulfate solution.
Things you need to know
    • Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Abilities you'll need to have
    • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
    • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
    • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
    • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
    • Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
    • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
    • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.