# Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers

> Apply plasterboard or other wallboard to ceilings or interior walls of buildings. Apply or mount acoustical tiles or blocks, strips, or sheets of shock-absorbing materials to ceilings and walls of buildings to reduce or reflect sound. Materials may be of decorative quality. Includes lathers who fasten wooden, metal, or rockboard lath to walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings to provide support base for plaster, fireproofing, or acoustical material.

- **SOC code:** 47-2081.00
- **Canonical URL:** https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2081-00
- **Also known as:** Drywall Finisher, Drywall Hanger, Drywall Installer, Metal Framer, Ceiling Installer, Dry Wall Installer, Drywall Mechanic, Drywaller
- **Frame:** "AI exposure" means task overlap (how codifiable the work is), not jobs lost or a forecast. Every figure below is traced to a named public dataset.

## What this work is

**Core tasks** (O*NET):
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.
- Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.
- Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.
- Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools.
- Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.
- Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.
- Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels.
- Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.
- Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.
- 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.
- Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.
- Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.

## Skills, tools, capabilities

**Knowledge, skills & abilities** (O*NET, highest importance first):
- Building and Construction _(knowledge)_
- Arm-Hand Steadiness _(ability)_
- Manual Dexterity _(ability)_
- Trunk Strength _(ability)_
- Extent Flexibility _(ability)_
- Near Vision _(ability)_
- Mathematics _(knowledge)_
- Gross Body Equilibrium _(ability)_
- Mechanical _(knowledge)_
- Oral Expression _(ability)_
- Visualization _(ability)_
- Finger Dexterity _(ability)_

**Skills in demand:**
- Mathematics _(Common Skill)_
- Visualization _(Specialized Skill)_
- Finger Dexterity _(Common Skill)_
- Information Ordering _(Specialized Skill)_
- Speech Recognition _(Specialized Skill)_
- Microsoft Word _(Common Skill)_
- Microsoft Windows _(Common Skill)_
- Deductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_
- Critical Thinking _(Common Skill)_
- English Language _(Common Skill)_
- Time Management _(Common Skill)_
- Inductive Reasoning _(Common Skill)_

**Tools & technology:**
- Microsoft Office software _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Windows _(hot technology)_
- Microsoft Word _(hot technology)_
- Business management software
- Construction Software Center EasyEst
- DevWave Estimate Works
- Job costing software
- Logic Group Scanner Digitizing Software
- On Center Quick Bid
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
- Wilhelm Publishing Threshold

## AI exposure & outlook

- **AI task-overlap index:** 4th percentile (Low) across all occupations — composite of current-era exposure studies (ai-exposure-index-v1).
- **Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.):** 4th percentile (Low) — source: felten_aioe.
- **LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou):** 12th percentile (Low) — source: eloundou_gamma.
- **AI assistant applicability (Microsoft):** 8th percentile (Low) — source: microsoft_applicability.
- **Frey–Osborne (2013, historical computerization estimate):** 64th percentile — kept separate from current-era studies.
- **Remote-capable (Dingel–Neiman):** no — task structure, not who actually works remote.
- **Projected employment (BLS 2024–34):** 4.2% growth (About average); 7.7k annual openings; 103.1k → 107.4k jobs.
- **Pay & employment (BLS OEWS, May 2024):** median $58,140; 82,900 employed.

## How people actually use AI here

Anthropic Economic Index — measured AI conversations mapped to this occupation's tasks:

- **Automation vs augmentation:** 33% automation, 55% augmentation (usage-weighted).
- **Autonomy median:** 3.0 (higher = AI acts more independently).
- **Dominant collaboration mode:** directive.

**Tasks most handed to AI here:**
- Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements. _(0.8% of measured AI use; directive)_

**Example prompts (honest phrasings of the tasks above — starting points, not endorsed instructions):**
- Help me read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.

## Sources

- **O*NET** (30.3) — U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)** (May 2024) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS Employment Projections** (2024–2034) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **Anthropic Economic Index** (v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27)) — Anthropic. https://www.anthropic.com/economic-index
- **Microsoft “Working with AI”** (working-with-ai) — Microsoft Research. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/
- **“GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.)** (arXiv 2303.10130) — OpenAI / academic. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
- **AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE)** (Felten, Raj & Seamans) — academic. https://github.com/AIOE-Data/AIOE
- **Frey & Osborne (2013)** (frey-osborne-automation) — academic. https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/publications/the-future-of-employment/
- **Dingel & Neiman (2020)** (dingel-neiman-workathome) — academic. https://github.com/jdingel/DingelNeiman-workathome

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_Generated from Singulariki's joined dataset; data snapshot 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-47-2081-00_