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Average Drywall Installer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A drywall installer in United Kingdom earns about 27,600 GBP a year. That's 60% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 10,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 41,900 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.


How much does a drywall installer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
27,600 GBP
2,300 GBP per month
Lowest reported
10,200 GBP
850 GBP per month
Highest reported
41,900 GBP
3,491 GBP per month

A typical drywall installer working in United Kingdom brings home around 2,300 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 10,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 41,900 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior drywall installer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the drywall installer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.


How drywall installer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all drywall installers in United Kingdom earn less than 27,400 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 19,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 35,400 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of drywall installers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 10,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 41,900 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

10,200
Low
27,400
Median
41,900
High
19,300
25th
35,400
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Drywall installer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a drywall installer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical drywall installer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    14,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +22% from previous
    18,000 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +43% from previous
    25,800 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +26% from previous
    32,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +2% from previous
    33,300 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +18% from previous
    39,400 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 43%. That is the point at which a drywall installer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.


Drywall installer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving drywall installer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average drywall installer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • High School
    15,400 GBP
  • Certificate or Diploma
    +45% from previous
    22,400 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +74% from previous
    39,000 GBP

Drywall installer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male drywall installers in United Kingdom earn an average of 25,800 GBP a year, while female drywall installers earn around 23,600 GBP. That works out to a 9% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Drywall Installer gender pay gap

9%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 25,800 GBP
Women 23,600 GBP

Pay raises for a drywall installer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 9% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 7% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Drywall installer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

35%

35% of drywall installers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a drywall installer a low-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary. The remaining 65% of drywall installers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Drywall installer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Drywall installer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Drywall installer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Birmingham
  • Leicester
  • Liverpool
  • Edinburgh
  • Leeds
  • Armagh
  • Swansea
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion44,200 GBP49,400 GBP21,700-71,400 GBP
ScotlandRegion33,000 GBP36,700 GBP15,100-55,100 GBP
LondonCity30,800 GBP32,200 GBP15,100-48,200 GBP
BirminghamCity30,100 GBP30,200 GBP15,100-45,900 GBP
LeicesterCity29,900 GBP30,300 GBP13,600-44,200 GBP
LiverpoolCity29,000 GBP29,600 GBP11,400-45,600 GBP
EdinburghCity28,900 GBP32,900 GBP13,500-46,400 GBP
LeedsCity28,900 GBP32,900 GBP13,500-45,600 GBP
ArmaghCity27,800 GBP26,400 GBP12,200-40,300 GBP
SwanseaCity27,600 GBP27,400 GBP10,200-41,900 GBP
SouthamptonCity27,600 GBP27,400 GBP10,200-41,900 GBP
CoventryCity27,400 GBP30,800 GBP12,800-45,300 GBP
BrightonCity27,400 GBP29,600 GBP12,500-40,200 GBP
SheffieldCity27,300 GBP27,400 GBP13,400-41,500 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity27,300 GBP29,300 GBP12,800-42,700 GBP
PlymouthCity27,100 GBP27,700 GBP12,600-42,800 GBP
ManchesterCity27,000 GBP28,900 GBP12,600-43,500 GBP
BristolCity26,900 GBP31,400 GBP13,400-46,200 GBP
DundeeCity26,500 GBP28,800 GBP11,900-41,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity26,500 GBP28,800 GBP11,900-41,700 GBP
AberdeenCity26,500 GBP25,500 GBP12,800-39,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity26,500 GBP27,300 GBP13,400-42,300 GBP
NottinghamCity26,300 GBP28,900 GBP11,400-45,600 GBP
OxfordCity26,200 GBP25,800 GBP12,100-37,900 GBP
GlasgowCity26,100 GBP31,200 GBP12,800-45,000 GBP
CardiffCity26,100 GBP31,200 GBP12,800-45,000 GBP
SomersetCity25,800 GBP29,200 GBP12,800-45,200 GBP
ExeterCity25,400 GBP27,300 GBP13,200-40,500 GBP
DerryCity25,300 GBP27,600 GBP10,300-36,700 GBP
NewcastleCity24,800 GBP26,900 GBP13,900-42,500 GBP
KirkwallCity24,400 GBP26,200 GBP12,200-36,500 GBP
BradfordCity24,200 GBP29,600 GBP12,500-40,200 GBP
NewportCity24,200 GBP26,500 GBP12,500-39,800 GBP
BelfastCity24,200 GBP26,500 GBP12,500-39,800 GBP
WalesRegion24,200 GBP27,300 GBP12,100-39,100 GBP
YorkCity24,200 GBP25,800 GBP12,100-39,100 GBP
WinchesterCity23,800 GBP26,400 GBP9,500-36,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion23,800 GBP23,600 GBP9,500-36,800 GBP
StirlingCity23,800 GBP24,200 GBP12,200-35,300 GBP
RiponCity23,800 GBP22,400 GBP11,900-36,600 GBP
InvernessCity23,800 GBP25,400 GBP12,200-35,000 GBP
DurhamCity23,800 GBP24,200 GBP12,200-35,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity23,700 GBP25,400 GBP12,200-34,900 GBP
NewryCity23,700 GBP24,800 GBP12,400-35,600 GBP
PortsmouthCity23,600 GBP26,900 GBP11,900-38,000 GBP
DerbyCity23,600 GBP26,500 GBP12,200-39,300 GBP
CambridgeCity23,600 GBP26,500 GBP12,200-39,300 GBP
GloucesterCity23,600 GBP27,300 GBP12,200-38,700 GBP
WakefieldCity23,400 GBP22,400 GBP11,300-34,300 GBP
PooleCity23,400 GBP26,500 GBP12,300-35,600 GBP
NorwichCity22,800 GBP27,000 GBP10,000-38,000 GBP
LincolnCity22,400 GBP27,400 GBP10,800-39,400 GBP
BangorCity22,300 GBP23,500 GBP10,790-35,100 GBP
AbingdonCity22,300 GBP23,500 GBP8,980-35,100 GBP
StrontianCity22,300 GBP23,500 GBP9,460-33,000 GBP
ChesterCity22,200 GBP23,600 GBP9,900-35,200 GBP
LisburnCity22,000 GBP27,400 GBP10,300-39,500 GBP
SalisburyCity22,000 GBP27,400 GBP10,300-39,500 GBP
St DavidsCity21,700 GBP24,400 GBP8,100-35,100 GBP
TruroCity21,300 GBP22,800 GBP12,400-36,400 GBP
WellsCity21,100 GBP22,800 GBP10,430-35,400 GBP
CanterburyCity20,100 GBP23,100 GBP8,100-33,000 GBP
StromnessCity20,000 GBP23,800 GBP9,900-33,000 GBP


Drywall Installer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a drywall installer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A drywall installer in United Kingdom earns about 2,300 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 27,600 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a drywall installer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level drywall installers in United Kingdom start near 10,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 41,900 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 19,300 and 35,400 GBP.

  • Is the median drywall installer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 27,400 GBP, lower than the average of 27,600 GBP. Half of drywall installers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for drywall installers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a drywall installer in United Kingdom earn around 9% more than women on average (25,800 vs 23,600 GBP a year).

  • Do drywall installers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 35% of drywall installers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4% of base salary.

  • Do drywall installers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a drywall installer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do drywall installers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A drywall installer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 9% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 7% a year.