AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 47-2081.00

Will AI replace Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 26 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 26 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways. 50 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels. 50 Estimated Frontier 3.7
Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.9
Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.7
Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.5
Install metal lath where plaster applications will be exposed to weather or water, or for curved or irregular surfaces. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.0
Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
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. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties. 15 Estimated No tier 3.5
Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
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. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks. 15 Estimated No tier 3.2
Nail channels or wood furring strips to surfaces to provide mounting for tile. 15 Estimated No tier 3.1
Apply cement to backs of tiles and press tiles into place, aligning them with layout marks or joints of previously laid tile. 15 Estimated No tier 2.8
Wash concrete surfaces before mounting tile to increase adhesive qualities of surfaces, using washing soda and zinc sulfate solution. 15 Estimated No tier 2.8

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 26 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 26 of 26. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 32% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 36% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 64% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
83,080
Median annual wage
$58,930
Middle half of earners
$47,440 to $74,230
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+4.2%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers and AI

Will AI replace Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?

Not on current evidence. None of the 26 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 19 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers?

19 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 26 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 26 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways, at 50 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 32% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 64% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers, and what do they earn?

83,080 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $58,930 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.2% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/drywall-and-ceiling-tile-installers

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