Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers
Construction and Extraction Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 47-2081.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.11
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 24 hidden tasks26 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.7%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- 2 rated tasks are not in the O*NET 31.0 task list; their scores are kept as published for O*NET 27.2.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.47-2081.00 | 0.013787.5 |
Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.47-2081.00 | 0.002012.5 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.O*NET Task ID 13503 | 0.5 |
Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.O*NET Task ID 13504 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (24)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices. | Core |
| Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements. | Core |
| Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws. | Core |
| Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners. | Core |
| Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents. | Core |
| Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels. | Core |
| Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives. | Core |
| Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways. | Core |
| Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks. | Core |
| Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools. | Core |
| Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls. | Core |
| Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified. | Core |
| Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties. | Core |
| Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers. | Core |
| Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels. | Supplemental |
| Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire. | Supplemental |
| Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls. | Supplemental |
| Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks. | Supplemental |
| Install metal lath where plaster applications will be exposed to weather or water, or for curved or irregular surfaces. | Supplemental |
| Nail channels or wood furring strips to surfaces to provide mounting for tile. | Supplemental |
1.08/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners. | E0 none |
| Measure and cut openings in panels or tiles for electrical outlets, windows, vents, plumbing, or other fixtures, using keyhole saws or other cutting tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| 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. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents. | E0 none |
| Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels. | E3 unstructured settings |
| Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| 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. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers. | E0 none |
| Install metal lath where plaster applications will be exposed to weather or water, or for curved or irregular surfaces. | E0 none |
| Apply cement to backs of tiles and press tiles into place, aligning them with layout marks or joints of previously laid tile. | E2 structured facilities |
| Nail channels or wood furring strips to surfaces to provide mounting for tile. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Wash concrete surfaces before mounting tile to increase adhesive qualities of surfaces, using washing soda and zinc sulfate solution. | E2 structured facilities |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 102K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 105K
- Change (2025–35)
- +2.5%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $58,930
- Typical education needed for entry
- No formal educational credential
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78120 | 경량 철골공 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 78292 | 건물 칸막이 설치원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 7123Plasterers
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Plasterers install, maintain and repair plasterboard in buildings, and apply decorative and protective coverings of plaster, cement and similar material to the interiors and exteriors of structures.
Tasks
- (a) applying one or more coats of plaster to interior walls and ceilings of buildings to produce finished surface;
- (b) measuring, marking and installing ornamental plaster panels, and casting and trimming ornamental plaster cornices;
- (c) measuring, marking and cutting plasterboard, lifting and positioning panels and securing them to walls, ceilings and battens;
- (d) covering joins and nail holes with wet plaster and sealing compounds, and smoothing them using wet brushes and sand paper;
- (e) applying protective and decorative covering of cement, plaster and similar materials to exterior building surfaces;
- (f) making and installing decorative plaster fixtures of fibrous plaster;
- (g) applying and finishing acoustic, insulating and fireproofing materials bonded with plaster, plastic cement and similar materials.
Example occupations
Dry wall plasterer · Fibrous plasterer · Ornamental plasterer · Plasterer · Solid plasterer · Stucco plasterer
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- ceiling installerESCO 7123.1This occupation is broader
Ceiling installers install ceilings in buildings. They apply different techniques as the situation requires - for example when fire resistance is especially important, or when space is needed between the dropped ceiling and the next floor - or specialise in one.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| F1604 | Plaquiste | Same scopeprovisional |
| F1615 | Poseur / Poseuse de cloisons démontables et mobiles | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| F1625 | Monteur / Monteuse en agencement | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 7199 | Otros trabajadores de las obras estructurales de construcción no clasificados bajo otros epígrafes | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 7211 | Escayolistas | Related, not a match |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 33302 | Berufe im Aus- und Trockenbau (ohne Spezialisierung) - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrower |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 669 | その他の建設従事者 | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources