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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace drywall and ceiling tile installers?

Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers. US occupation 47-2081.

0.0%

of the time drywall and ceiling tile installers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of drywall and ceiling tile installers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for drywall and ceiling tile installersWhat drywall and ceiling tile installers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 24 tasks for drywall and ceiling tile installers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

24 of the 24 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • 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 task
  • Assemble or install metal framing or decorative trim for windows, doorways, or vents.Core task
  • Coordinate work with drywall finishers who cover the seams between drywall panels.Core task
  • Cut and screw together metal channels to make floor or ceiling frames, according to plans for the location of rooms or hallways.Core task
  • Cut fixture or border tiles to size, using keyhole saws, and insert them into surrounding frameworks.Core task
  • Cut metal or wood framing and trim to size, using cutting tools.Core task
Show the other 18
  • Fasten metal or rockboard lath to the structural framework of walls, ceilings, or partitions of buildings, using nails, screws, staples, or wire-ties.Core task
  • Fit and fasten wallboard or drywall into position on wood or metal frameworks, using glue, nails, or screws.Core task
  • Hang dry lines to wall moldings to guide positioning of main runners.Core task
  • 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 task
  • Install blanket insulation between studs and tack plastic moisture barriers over insulation.Core task
  • Install horizontal and vertical metal or wooden studs to frames so that wallboard can be attached to interior walls.Core task
  • 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 task
  • Measure and mark surfaces to lay out work, according to blueprints or drawings, using tape measures, straightedges or squares, and marking devices.Core task
  • Read blueprints or other specifications to determine methods of installation, work procedures, or material or tool requirements.Core task
  • Remove existing plaster, drywall, or paneling, using crowbars and hammers.Core task
  • Scribe and cut edges of tile to fit walls where wall molding is not specified.Core task
  • Trim rough edges from wallboard to maintain even joints, using knives.Core task
  • Inspect furrings, mechanical mountings, or masonry surfaces for plumbness and level, using spirit or water levels.
  • Install metal lath where plaster applications will be exposed to weather or water, or for curved or irregular surfaces.
  • Mount tile, using adhesives, or by nailing, screwing, stapling, or wire-tying lath directly to structural frameworks.
  • Nail channels or wood furring strips to surfaces to provide mounting for tile.
  • Seal joints between ceiling tiles and walls.
  • Suspend angle iron grids or channel irons from ceilings, using wire.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 15. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Dishwashers 0.0%
  2. 346Dredge Operators 0.0%
  3. 346Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.