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Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2081

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$58,930
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
12,600
Proj. Annual Openings
83,080
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-3.5%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 47-2081 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
60/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$58,930
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
12,600
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.2%.
Observed/proxy demand
FY— certified LCAs; 13,933 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Critical ThinkingSpeakingMonitoringCoordinationJudgment and Decision Making

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.2%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

9.5%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI4.2%
AI ability · AIOE24.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne79%

Top Skills

1.Critical Thinking
2.Speaking
3.Monitoring
4.Coordination
5.Judgment and Decision Making

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Ceiling Installer, Dry Wall Installer, Drywall Finisher, Drywall Hanger, Drywall Installer, Drywall Mechanic

Representative Tasks

  • Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
  • Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
  • Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
  • Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.
  • Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
  • Mark reference points on construction materials.
  • Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
  • Install building fixtures.
  • Cut openings in existing structures.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Word · hotConstruction Software Center EasyEstDevWave Estimate WorksJob costing softwareLogic Group Scanner Digitizing SoftwareOn Center Quick BidTurtle Creek Software GoldensealWilhelm Publishing Threshold

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.2%
Avg AI Exposure
12
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 47-2081: 2019 — employment: 102,850, median wage: $45,700; 2020 — employment: 99,700, median wage: $47,460; 2021 — employment: 97,070, median wage: $48,040; 2022 — employment: 91,590, median wage: $50,440; 2023 — employment: 90,860, median wage: $55,700; 2025 — employment: 83,080, median wage: $58,930.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.2%
OutlookAverage70% Bright
Median Salary$58,930N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A