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Salary Guides / California
Drywall Finisher Salary in California
Review California finishing wages alongside daily overtime, paid hours and benefits before choosing between new drywall crew offers and contracting.
What Drywall Finishers Earn in California
California employee wages range from $22.02–$55.47/hr, with a $35.32/hr median and a published annual median of $73,460. Annual wages range from $45,800–$115,370. These figures describe tapers, whose work centers on joints and finished surfaces. California's $16.90 statewide minimum sits below every displayed rate. Use the experience bands to compare offers. Contractor prices also pay for business costs beyond a worker's wages. Discuss benefits alongside paid hours.
Hourly rates by level in California
What each rung of the trade is paid, before overtime and per diem.
Where do you stand?
Enter your hourly rate to see how it compares to other drywall finishers in California.
What are you making?
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Use your base rate, not what you take home after overtime.
You're right around the middle
$28.00 is above roughly 46% of this market. The top quarter starts at $36.00, and the median sits at $29.00.
Calculate pay with extra credentials
Pick your level, add certifications, select shift — the estimate updates live.
1Your level
2Certifications you hold
3Shift & work type
4Overtime & per diem
An estimate, not an offer. Overtime is paid at time and a half past forty hours.
Who pays the most in California
Compare these national industry medians with local offers, including daily overtime, employer health coverage and responsibility for surface repairs between finishing stages.
Building Finishing Contractors
Taping specialists serve California drywall packages. Discuss whether your assignment includes hand taping, automatic tools, texture matching and repairs after other interior crews enter.
Nonresidential Building Construction
Office and institutional interiors bring ceiling and corridor work. Ask about ceiling access equipment, staged room completion, platform setup and daily overtime schedules.
Residential Building Construction
House construction puts finishers between board crews and painters. Compare daily hours, surface preparation and repair responsibilities across successive new home assignments.
Which states pay drywall finishers the most
Median hourly across every state with a published guide for this trade. Cost of living is not netted out — compare take-home, not just the rate.
What each certification is worth
Sorted by payback speed.
| Certification | Rate bump | Extra / year | Cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IUPAT DC 36 / So. Cal Drywall Finishers Apprenticeship (journeyperson) | +$10.47 | $21,778 | $0 | 0 weeks |
| OSHA 30-Hour Construction | +$1.09 | $2,267 | $159 | 4 weeks |
| OSHA 10-Hour Construction | +$0.36 | $749 | $59 | 5 weeks |
| Supported Scaffold User | +$0.15 | $312 | $35 | 6 weeks |
What overtime actually adds
Past forty hours the rate is time and a half. Built from the rate above. At $35.32/hr.
Questions workers ask
Does a ten-hour California finishing day earn overtime?▾
What should my California wage statement show?▾
Can a city require more than California's statewide minimum?▾
See Open Drywall Finisher Jobs in California
Verified positions matching this trade and location.
Current BLS May 2025 California employee wages for Tapers, SOC 47-2082; these figures cover tapers only and exclude overtime premiums and benefits.
Last updated October 21, 2026. Rates are market estimates, not guarantees.