Skip to main content
Plumb/Square
Home/States/Kansas/Drywall Installer / Taper
KSCONSTRUCTIONSOC 47-2081RAPIDS 0117RIGHT-TO-WORK

DRYWALL INSTALLER / TAPER

in Kansas

Hangs drywall, finishes joints, preps walls for paint. The trade behind every smooth wall you've ever seen. Kansas is a right-to-work state — union density is lower than the national average, but licensed tradespeople still command solid wages on prevailing wage projects.

Median pay (national)
$49,260
BLS OEWS May 2024
Top 10%
$79,180
90th percentile
To journeyman
3–4 yrs
Licensing required
VARIES
check state board
§ 01

The License.

Check with Kansas directly — licensing for drywall installer / tapervaries by municipality in this state. There is no single state board that we can point to with confidence for this trade. Contact your local city or county building department, or check the state labor department's website.

§ 02

The Money.

Pay data for this trade in Kansas. BLS metro-level data was not available for this combination. National medians shown below.

StageHourly rangeApprox. annual
Year 1 apprentice$16–$22/hr$32,000 – $44,000
Journeyman scale$25–$42/hr$50,000 – $84,000
BLS national median—$49,260
BLS top 10%—$79,180

Kansas is a right-to-work state. Union scale in major Kansas metros typically runs 10–20% above the national median on public projects with prevailing wage requirements; non-union pay can run 15–30% below union scale on private work.

§ 03

The Path.

Apprenticeship length
3–4 years
4,500 on-the-job hours · 432 classroom hours
Education floor
HS Diploma
Minimum age: 18 · Driver's license: Yes · Drug test: Standard

In Kansas, apprenticeships are administered through the federal RAPIDS system via the U.S. Department of Labor. To find registered programs, go to apprenticeship.gov and filter by state. Most joint apprenticeship training committees (JATCs) also accept direct applications.

Sponsoring unions
  • · IUPAT (Drywall Finishers branch)
  • · UBC (Drywall Hangers)
§ 04

The Exam.

Most construction trade licenses at the contractor level require a business and law exam in addition to the trade exam. Kansas may have this structure. Pass rates are not published uniformly — ask the licensing board directly for current data. Note: prevailing wage rules in Kansas apply primarily to public projects — private-sector jobs in this right-to-work state are exempt.

Be honest about pass rates. Many licensing boards do not publish them. When they do, first-time pass rates for journeyman exams in the trades typically run 50–75%. Preparation time varies — most serious candidates spend 60–120 hours on exam prep. Use code books from the correct edition, not what's currently in print.

§ 05

What recruiters won't tell you.

  1. 01Piece-rate pay punishes new workers — expect low effective hourly rate the first 1–2 years.
  2. 02Silica dust from drywall is a real lung-health risk. Mask up.
  3. 03Shoulder and back injuries are career-shortening. Lift right.