Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
In short: today's best AI models could do about 5% of this job's working time (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) if the work were set up for them, and about the same by the end of 2028 if progress keeps its long-run pace. The conversations, in-person and hands-on work, about 95% of the time, stays with people.
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.
83,080 people do this job in the US. $58,930 a year.
Reviewed on October 1, 2026: what each task is made of, and what handing it over would ask.
A typical 40-hour week
- AI could take on0 h
- A person checks AI's work2 h
- Desk work AI can't do yet0 h
- Stays with people38 h
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, now: of a 40-hour week, AI could take on 0 hours, 2 hours become checking its work, 0 hours are desk work it can't do yet, and 38 hours stay with people.
The largest pieces: Read plans for the job (about 1 h, a person checks); Build metal frames (under an hour, a person checks); Lay out the work (under an hour, a person checks).
Estimates for a typical week of this job, if progress keeps its long-run pace, counting work the best models finish four times in five. Every task is below.
of the working time. Now is projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index.
- 5%
- 0%
- 0%
- 5%
- 90%
of the work: Anthropic's measure of what people already bring to Claude at work (2025). It counts help with part of a task, so it can be higher than the share within reach.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
Change assumptionsHide assumptionsLong-run pace, four in five
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 2.4 work days long four times in five.
What handing it over would take, now
The 5% within reach splits by what a model would need. The dates, pace and reliability follow the controls above. Estimates.
of the working time. The material can be handed to a model and the result handed back.
of the working time. The model has to be connected to the system the work lives in.
is conversation short enough by length. This site leaves conversation with people, so it is not in the total.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 5%. Today's estimate: 5%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
Measured use over time
Of the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled and tied to a work task, no reportable share went to this job's tasks in May 2026; 0 of its 24 tasks showed up. Within each of Anthropic's methods, never across a change: 0.016% to 0.019% (released February and March 2025); 0.0076% to 0.0099% (August 2025 to February 2026).
Each release
| Conversations | Share | Rank | Tasks seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Released February 2025 | 0.016% | 476 of 708 | 2 of 24 |
| Released March 2025 | 0.019% | 427 of 703 | 2 of 24 |
| The week of Aug 4, 2025 (released September 2025) | 0.0076% | 490 of 655 | 1 of 24 |
| The week of Nov 13, 2025 (released January 2026) | 0.011% | 474 of 672 | 2 of 24 |
| The week of Feb 5, 2026 (released March 2026) | 0.0099% | 499 of 677 | 2 of 24 |
| April 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 24 |
| May 2026 (released June 2026) | none | n/a | 0 of 24 |
Measured, not estimated: Anthropic's samples of Claude.ai conversations, each tied by a model to an O*NET task, from the Anthropic Economic Index. It says where Claude's use goes, not how much of this job's working time it covers, so it is not on the same scale as the reach above. The releases differ in their sample, their classifier and the smallest share they report (the June 2026 file rounds each task to a hundredth of a percent, so a smaller task reads as none), which is why a change of method starts a new line. At least 96% of each older release's task-tied use matched this site's tasks, and all of the newest. Claude.ai only, so use through other tools and other companies' models is not in it. Every job ranked.
Robots and the physical work
Anthropic rates 96% of this job's working time as physical work. For 89% of the working time, a robot has been shown doing most of the task somewhere: 80% in a purpose-built cell, 9% in any setting. 1.08 of 3, the 83rd highest of the 923 jobs.
- Not physical 4%
- No robot shown 7%
- In a purpose-built cell 80%
- In any setting 9%
Anthropic's rating, not this site's estimate: Claude Opus 5, searching the web, rated each physical O*NET task by the kind of setting in which a robot it could cite (deployed, sold or demonstrated) does most of the task, weighted by its own estimate of each task's share of the time (What work can robots do?, September 30, 2026, data CC BY 4.0; every job ranked). A robot shown somewhere is not a robot in your building: cost, setup and safety decide that. The share within reach on this page still counts no body work. The robot behind each rated task is under the task below.
What changes for the people in this job
From the task-by-task review, by the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five. It says which parts of the work stay with people and which change, not whether anyone keeps a job: that depends on decisions no data set can see.
What stays with people
94% of the working time: the conversation, in-person and hands-on parts of the tasks.
- Hang panels with lifts, the hands-on work, 15%
- Install studs, the hands-on work, 11%
- Fasten wallboard, the hands-on work, 10%
- Fasten lath, the hands-on work, 8%
- Build metal frames, the hands-on work, 6%
- Lay out the work, the hands-on work, 5%
What becomes checking the machine
5% of the working time: desk work a model could do by then, in tasks where a mistake costs something or a licensed person signs. A person checks it.
- Read plans for the job, costly if wrong, 3%
- Build metal frames, costly if wrong, 2%
- Lay out the work, costly if wrong, 1%
What to learn
- The hands-on craft. About 90% of the time is hands-on work, which no model here does; robots are rated separately on this page.
- Judgment where errors are severe. Some tasks are severe if wrong. Knowing when not to trust an output matters more there than speed.
- Reviewing work you did not do yourself. The tasks under What becomes checking the machine, where a mistake costs something, stay a person's to check: spotting what a draft gets wrong is a skill of its own.
Your own version of this job: read it against your job description. The headline is free; the full personal report, every task with its timeline and what to learn, is $19 (a sample).
The tasks
Sorted by . 24 tasks from .
| Task | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.Lifting and fixing panels on large jobs.Done hourly or more by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, WEINMANN steel frame construction line (insert tables + multifunction bridge) (HOMAG / WEINMANN) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 15% | 1.3 h38 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.Fixing studs to the frame.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, WEINMANN FRAMETEQ F-700 framing station (HOMAG / WEINMANN) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 11% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.Fitting and screwing panels to the framing.Done several times a day by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Automated wall paneling robot cells at FingerHaus (Beth Sondermaschinen (Beth Germany) / ABB robots) (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 10% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.Cutting and screwing channels together from the plan.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, Kawasaki BX200L / MX420L robot line at Sekisui Heim Kyushu plant (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 8% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.Nailing, screwing or tying lath to the framing.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, WEINMANN WALLTEQ M-300 multifunction bridge (HOMAG / WEINMANN Holzbausystemtechnik) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.Measuring and marking from the drawings.Done several times a day by most who do it. Robots: in any setting, Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter (deployed). Anthropic's rating. | 6% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 80%, documents 20% | 20%Desk part half by now |
| Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.Reading the drawings to know what to install and how; the knowing is the installer's own.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min13 min to 1.1 h | Documents 50%, in person 50% | 50%Desk part half by now |
| Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.Demolition with crowbars and hammers.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.Cutting with power and hand tools.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, FRAMECAD light gauge steel (LGS) roll-forming machine / FRAMECAD System (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.Measuring and cutting with saws.Done daily by most who do it. Robots: in a purpose-built cell, WEINMANN WALLTEQ M-300 multifunction bridge (HOMAG / WEINMANN) (sold). Anthropic's rating. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.Hanging the grid from the ceiling by wire.Done more than weekly by most who do it.Robots: in a purpose-built cell, System ceiling installation robot (hanger-bolt robot, three T-bar robots, board robot) (tmsuk with Kajima Corporation) (demonstrated). Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
| Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.Assembling and fixing framing and trim.Done more than monthly by most who do it. Robots: no robot shown. Anthropic's rating. | 3% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Hands-on 100% | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach. Made of: how the task's time splits among five kinds of doing. Only the documents and systems parts can count as within reach, so a task that is 30% documents can be at most 30% within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).
Questions about this job
- How much of the work of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers is within reach of AI now?
- An estimated 5% of the working time is within reach of AI models now and 5% by the end of 2028, on METR's long-run pace at four in five. Within reach means a model could finish work that long at that reliability. It is not a forecast of jobs lost or of savings.
- Which tasks of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers come within reach first?
- Weighted by the time each takes, the tasks with the most within reach now (projected from METR's April 2026 measurement and Epoch's November 2026 index) are: Read plans for the job (50% of the task's time now); Build metal frames (20% of the task's time now); and Lay out the work (20% of the task's time now).
- Which tasks of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers stay with people?
- Tasks that are people work or body work are not counted as within reach at any date. The largest: Hang panels with lifts; Install studs; and Fasten wallboard. Together such tasks are about 81% of the working time, and the people and body parts of the other tasks stay with people too.
- What should Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers learn as AI takes on more of the work?
- By the job's own task-by-task review, the first things to learn are the hands-on craft; judgment where errors are severe; and reviewing work you did not do yourself. By the end of 2028 on the long-run pace at four in five, about 94% of the working time stays with people, 5% becomes checking a model's work and 0% could be handed over with lighter checks. It says which parts of the work change, never whether anyone keeps a job.
- Do people already use AI for the work of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?
- In the Claude.ai conversations Anthropic sampled for May 2026, no reportable share went to this job's tasks. Anthropic's labor market measure puts the share of the job's tasks seen in real Claude use at work at 0%. These are measures of use, not of how much of the work AI could finish, and they cover Claude only.
- Can robots do the physical work of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?
- Anthropic's robot exposure rating (September 2026) finds 96% of the working time is physical work, and that a robot has been shown doing most of the task, somewhere, for 89% of the working time, 9% in any setting. Its index is 1.08 of 3. One example: Dusty Robotics FieldPrinter for "lay out the work". A robot shown somewhere is not one in every workplace; this site's own estimates still count no physical work as within reach.
- How is this estimated?
- From the 24 tasks O*NET lists for the occupation, each with an estimated length checked against GDPval and a share of the working time, reviewed one task at a time on October 1, 2026 for what each is made of (documents, business systems, conversation, in person, hands-on), and METR's measurements of how long a task the best AI models can finish, carried forward to the date from the latest, Claude Mythos Preview (early) in April 2026. Data checked November 10, 2026.
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The page above is the occupation. Your job is your title and what you actually do: give both, and they are read against these tasks in your browser, nothing sent anywhere. The headline is free: how much of your working time is within reach now and by the end of 2028, and how many of the tasks your description names.
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