Career profile for Drywaller

What does a Drywaller do?

Drywallers apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings.

In addition, Drywallers

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.

What kind of tasks does a Drywaller perform regularly?

Drywallers are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following 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.
Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels.
Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
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.
Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.
Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.
Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.
Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.
Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified.
Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners.
Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.
Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation.
Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls.
Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.
Apply or mount acoustical tile or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings or walls of buildings to reduce reflection of sound or to decorate rooms.
Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks.

The above responsibilities are specific to Drywallers. More generally, Drywallers are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Handling and Moving Objects		Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Performing General Physical Activities		Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Handling and Moving Objects

Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Performing General Physical Activities

Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

What is a Drywaller salary?

The median salary for a Drywaller is $47,460, and the average salary is $51,930. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Drywaller salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Drywallers earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Drywallers earn less than $29,890 per year, 25% earn less than $37,140, 75% earn less than $61,980, and 90% earn less than $85,070.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Drywallers is expected to change by 5.0%, and there should be roughly 10,700 open positions for Drywallers every year.

Median annual salary: $47,460
Typical salary range: $29,890 - $85,070
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 5.0%

What personality traits are common among Drywallers?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Drywaller are usually higher in their Realistic and Conventional interests.

Drywallers typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Drywallers typically have strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Drywaller tend to value Support, Independence, and Working Conditions.

Most importantly, Drywallers moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Drywallers moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Drywallers moderately value Working Conditions. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Drywallers must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and cooperation.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Drywallers, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Achievement/Effort		Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

What education and training do Drywallers need?

Working as a Drywaller usually requires a high school diploma.

Drywallers need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Drywallers

47.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
37.6% completed high school or secondary school
11.5% completed some college coursework
2.2% earned a Associate's degree
1.5% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.2% earned a Master's degree
0.1% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Drywallers

Drywallers may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as building and construction, mathematics, or mechanical knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Drywallers might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Administration and Management		Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Administration and Management

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Important Abilities needed by Drywallers

Drywallers must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Drywallers need abilities such as arm-hand steadiness, manual dexterity, and trunk strength in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Drywallers, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Trunk Strength		The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
Extent Flexibility		The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Trunk Strength

The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Extent Flexibility

The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Critical Skills needed by Drywallers

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Drywallers frequently use skills like critical thinking, speaking, and monitoring to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Drywallers, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Monitoring		Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination		Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making		Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Drywaller

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