"Installing ceiling and walls was not a job I would have thought of. I fell into it through a summer job, but over the years, I realized, this is a skill you have to learn to do well, and, when it's done right, it's what makes a project finally look like a home or a business. It feels great to finish the A-to-Z steps from planning,
measuring, and cutting, to installing.

I show up after all the grading, foundation work, framing, electrical, and plumbing is in, and when I leave, it’s a whole different place — ready for painters and decorators to add their final touches."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 47-2081

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.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Read blueprints
• Assemble or install metal framing
• Cut fixture or border tiles to size
• Apply or mount tile
• Fasten metal to structural frameworks

General Work Activities 

• Mental Processes
  • Determine methods of installation, material, or tool requirements
  • Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles
• Interacting With Others
  • Coordinate work with drywall finishers
• Work Output
  • Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work
  • Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks
  • Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools
  • Hang drywall panels on metal frameworks of walls and ceilings in buildings
  • Apply cement to backs of tiles
  • Install blanket insulation
  • Wash concrete surfaces before mounting tile

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, Images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the Identity of employees and businesses.

Job Statistics

 

 

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

• Midlands
• Trident
• Greenville
• Lower Savannah
• Lowcountry 

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area.

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Precision Walls Inc.
• DPR Construction, Inc.
• R&R Integrated Solutions
• Sevan Multi-Site Solutions

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area

Related Occupations

• Carpenters
• Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
• Plasterers and Stucco Masons
• Tapers
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

NOTE: All data based on state averages. Information may vary depending on region, experience, and specific employment situation. Last Updated: 2025

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.