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. 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.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 8%
- 0%
- 92%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
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, 8%. Today's estimate: 8%.
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.
The tasks
Sorted by . 24 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 15% | 1.3 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.Done daily by most who do it. | 11% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 10% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | 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.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | 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.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 6% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min13 min to 1.1 h | 100%Half by now | |
| Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 4% | 1.7 h38 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 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.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 3% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 3% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | 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.
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).