SOC 47-2081 · Modesto, CA metro

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Salary in Modesto, CA

The average salary for drywall and ceiling tile installers in Modesto, California is $71,310 a year ($34.29 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $65,770: half of the 400 people in this job in the Modesto, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% more than the U.S. average for this job ($63,600).

$71,310average per year

$34.29 / hourMedian $65,770Take-home ≈ $56,364

  • $50K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $66KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $107K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

400people in this job
+12%vs U.S. average
#11 of 22California metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers pay range in Modesto

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,920 a year or less, while the top 10% make $107,020 or more. The middle half of drywall and ceiling tile installers in Modesto earn between $54,170 and $83,340.

  • $50K10th
  • $54K25th
  • $66KMedian
  • $83K75th
  • $107K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$71,310$5,942$34.28
Median$65,770$5,481$31.62
Entry level (25th percentile)$54,170$4,514$26.04
Experienced (75th percentile)$83,340$6,945$40.07

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers pay in Modesto vs. California and the U.S.

Drywall and ceiling tile installers in Modesto earn 5% less than the California average ($74,680) and 12% more than the U.S. average ($63,600). At the median the gap is +12% against the U.S. median of $58,930.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Modesto$71,310$65,770$49,920$107,020400
California$74,680$65,880$46,050$120,24027,280
United States$63,600$58,930$38,460$102,01083,080

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary after taxes in Modesto

On the average salary of $71,310, a single filer in Modesto takes home about $56,364 a year, or $4,697 a month and $2,168 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Modesto a good place for drywall and ceiling tile installers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Modesto area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 104.1), so the average $71,310 buys what about $68,496 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Modesto ($50,610). A typical home costs $468,302, or 6.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $71,310 is worth in another city

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary in other California cities

Modesto ranks 11th of 22 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($92,730).

All Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for drywall and ceiling tile installers

Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($97,000).

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary by city

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Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers salary in Modesto: questions

How much do drywall and ceiling tile installers make an hour in Modesto?

$34.29 an hour on average, and $31.62 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level drywall and ceiling tile installers salary in Modesto?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $49,920 a year and the 25th percentile is $54,170, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the drywall and ceiling tile installers take-home pay in Modesto?

About $56,364 a year ($4,697 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $71,310. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do drywall and ceiling tile installers earn more in Modesto than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% more than the U.S. average for this job ($63,600).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 47-2081; area Modesto, CA (33700). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 3.81, this job is 3.8 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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