Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

What the job really is

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.

At a glance

• Sector: Construction & Extraction
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2081
• O*NET job zone: 2 — some preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.

Tools and technology

Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Adhesive guns, Air compressors, Automatic taping tools, Box beam levels, Bullnose trowels, Business management software, Caulking guns, Chalk lines, Chop saws

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

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

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 2 (some preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.