As of June 2026, Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers has an AI-exposure score of 34/100 (Low exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
More exposed than 4% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$58,930. About 7,700 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Construction roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (100%).
No augmentable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as durable (100%).
- Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.
- 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.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
- Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.
- Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.
- Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.
- Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners.
- Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation.
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls.
- Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
- Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.
- Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.
- Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified.
- Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.
- Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels.
Safer adjacent roles
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Every task scored with what to do about it · 5–10 safer roles with salary, demand & reachability · skill-gap map · a 30/60/90-day roadmap · plus a résumé & LinkedIn rewrite · PDF.
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Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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