Electricians Beat the Cost of Living. Drywall Installers Lose 3.4% to It
This is a wage analysis, not a cost guide.
Nominal versus real, by trade
| Trade | Nominal | Real (price-adjusted) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $59,168 | $57,158 | -3.4% |
| Tile and Stone Setters | $55,979 | $54,610 | -2.4% |
| Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $52,502 | $51,797 | -1.3% |
| Roofers | $55,610 | $54,928 | -1.2% |
| Floor Layers | $56,612 | $56,008 | -1.1% |
| Carpenters | $62,569 | $61,928 | -1.0% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters and Steamfitters | $68,972 | $69,330 | +0.5% |
| Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $57,122 | $57,436 | +0.6% |
| Electricians | $68,765 | $69,164 | +0.6% |
| Construction Laborers | $49,118 | $49,558 | +0.9% |
The whole spread is only about four percentage points, which is smaller than most people expect. But the ordering is informative.
The pattern
The trades that gain are the licensed ones — electricians and plumbers — plus labourers. The trades that lose are the finishing trades: drywall, tile and painting.
The mechanism is where those trades are concentrated. Licensed work is needed everywhere, including in cheap states, whereas finishing work is concentrated in fast-growing high-cost metros where new housing is built.
In other words, a drywall installer is more likely to be standing in a place where the price index is above 100, so their wage is worth less than it looks.
What it means for a homeowner
If you are in a high-price state, the finishing trades are relatively better value than their wage suggests, because their pay has not kept up with local prices.
The licensed trades are the opposite. You are paying a premium that is real in purchasing-power terms, and there is no substitute for the licence.
The price index itself
| State | Price index (100 = national average) |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | 86.9 |
| Mississippi | 87.0 |
| Oklahoma | 87.8 |
| Iowa | 87.8 |
| Louisiana | 88.2 |
| … | … |
| New York | 107.9 |
| New Jersey | 108.8 |
| District of Columbia | 109.9 |
| Hawaii | 110.0 |
| California | 110.7 |
That 24-point spread between Arkansas and California is the reason a wage comparison across states is only half a comparison.
Frequently asked
Is the price index a cost-of-living measure?
It is a regional price parity covering goods, services and housing. It is close to a cost-of-living index but not identical.
Should I use the real or nominal figure?
Nominal if you are pricing a local job. Real if you are comparing between places, which is what this site does in the state comparisons.
Updated October 2026