Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Insulation Workers, Mechanical (SOC 47-2132) earn a median $58,340 a year ($28.05 an hour) in the United States, with 25,660 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What insulation workers, mechanical do
Mechanical insulation workers apply insulating materials to pipes, ductwork and other mechanical systems, such as industrial equipment, heat exchangers, tanks and vessels, so that noise is controlled and temperatures hold. They read blueprints and specifications to learn the job requirements, determine the amounts and types of insulation and the installation methods from factors such as location, surface shape and equipment use, and select the material, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam or cork, by its heat-retaining or heat-excluding characteristics. Insulation is measured and cut with tape measures, handsaws, knives and scissors, then fitted around obstructions and shaped, along with protective coverings, as needed. Surfaces and access holes are covered, sealed or finished with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement or asphalt mastic, and sheet metal is screwed on around insulated pipes to protect them from weather and physical damage. Workers also remove and repair existing insulation. Floor, ceiling and wall insulation work (47-2131), which lines the structure itself, is classified separately.
Typical entry: Most workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or equivalent as their level of education, according to O*NET.
Also called: AC Insulation Installer (Air Conditioning Insulation Installer), Blanket Maker, Boiler Coverer, Commercial Insulator, Duct Insulator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.42 | $23.13 | $28.05 | $37.19 | $48.19 | $31.50 | 25,660 |
| Annual | $42,470 | $48,100 | $58,340 | $77,360 | $100,220 | $65,530 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where insulation workers, mechanical earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $27.74 | $30.56 | $57.55 | $72.77 | $79.59 | $52.39 | 1,310 | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $57,700 | $63,570 | $119,690 | $151,370 | $165,540 | $108,970 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $37.92 | $50.89 | $57.44 | $61.24 | $77.62 | $56.43 | 170 | 0.09 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $78,880 | $105,860 | $119,480 | $127,380 | $161,450 | $117,380 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $24.92 | $31.68 | $54.87 | $59.50 | $59.51 | $47.10 | 250 | 0.16 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $51,840 | $65,900 | $114,130 | $123,760 | $123,770 | $97,960 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $35.23 | $43.98 | $51.74 | $59.58 | $59.69 | $49.85 | 330 | 0.08 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $73,290 | $91,480 | $107,610 | $123,920 | $124,160 | $103,690 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $26.00 | $32.13 | $50.80 | $52.57 | $55.70 | $44.19 | 250 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $54,090 | $66,820 | $105,670 | $109,350 | $115,850 | $91,920 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $18.98 | $22.25 | $23.52 | $26.85 | $29.03 | $24.25 | 4,190 | 0.30 | 1.80 |
| Annual | $39,480 | $46,280 | $48,930 | $55,840 | $60,380 | $50,440 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $21.89 | $23.39 | $28.42 | $39.86 | $46.90 | $32.85 | 1,490 | 0.15 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $45,540 | $48,650 | $59,120 | $82,900 | $97,560 | $68,330 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $19.72 | $23.65 | $27.41 | $29.89 | $30.53 | $26.65 | 1,350 | 0.33 | 1.99 |
| Annual | $41,010 | $49,190 | $57,010 | $62,180 | $63,500 | $55,430 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $22.47 | $28.31 | $34.72 | $39.33 | $45.67 | $33.89 | 1,320 | 0.41 | 2.50 |
| Annual | $46,740 | $58,890 | $72,220 | $81,800 | $94,990 | $70,480 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $27.74 | $30.56 | $57.55 | $72.77 | $79.59 | $52.39 | 1,310 | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| Annual | $57,700 | $63,570 | $119,690 | $151,370 | $165,540 | $108,970 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $33.39 | $36.42 | $65.60 | $81.29 | $87.15 | $62.88 | 210 | 0.09 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $69,440 | $75,760 | $136,460 | $169,090 | $181,280 | $130,800 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $32.66 | $52.38 | $60.94 | $61.46 | $62.39 | $56.31 | 120 | 0.10 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $67,940 | $108,960 | $126,750 | $127,830 | $129,780 | $117,120 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $26.27 | $31.10 | $59.66 | $61.26 | $76.64 | $51.55 | 530 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $54,650 | $64,680 | $124,090 | $127,420 | $159,400 | $107,220 | ||||
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | Hourly | $24.92 | $36.04 | $58.59 | $59.50 | $59.50 | $47.80 | 190 | 0.17 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $51,840 | $74,960 | $121,870 | $123,760 | $123,760 | $99,420 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $29.41 | $31.16 | $53.98 | $61.38 | $76.78 | $50.00 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.40 |
| Annual | $61,180 | $64,810 | $112,280 | $127,670 | $159,710 | $104,000 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $20.69 | $22.76 | $24.06 | $28.44 | $29.03 | $24.69 | 1,320 | 0.40 | 2.43 |
| Annual | $43,030 | $47,340 | $50,050 | $59,150 | $60,380 | $51,340 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $22.03 | $26.76 | $33.99 | $46.90 | $60.31 | $38.20 | 1,100 | 0.12 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $45,820 | $55,660 | $70,690 | $97,560 | $125,440 | $79,450 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $27.57 | $37.54 | $49.85 | $55.42 | $55.43 | $44.84 | 930 | 0.21 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $57,350 | $78,080 | $103,690 | $115,280 | $115,290 | $93,270 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $21.47 | $22.48 | $25.10 | $26.84 | $29.34 | $25.03 | 830 | 0.21 | 1.24 |
| Annual | $44,670 | $46,760 | $52,200 | $55,840 | $61,030 | $52,070 | ||||
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 680 | 0.90 | 5.43 |
| Annual | * | * | * | * | * | * | ||||
Top industries employing insulation workers, mechanical
Building Equipment Contractors employ 67.8% of insulation workers, mechanical nationally (17,400 jobs) at a median $57,920 a year ($27.85 an hour), followed by Building Finishing Contractors (15.0%) and Other Specialty Trade Contractors (3.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 17,400 | 67.8% | $57,920 | $27.85 |
| Building Finishing Contractors NAICS 238300 | 3,860 | 15.0% | $56,700 | $27.26 |
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 830 | 3.2% | $59,800 | $28.75 |
| Utility System Construction NAICS 237100 | 620 | 2.4% | $50,110 | $24.09 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 510 | 2.0% | $60,950 | $29.30 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (25,660). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,260 for insulation workers, mechanical in May 2021 and $58,340 in May 2025, with employment of 28,010 and 25,660.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,260 | $23.20 | 28,010 |
| May 2022 | $50,590 | $24.32 | 25,660 |
| May 2023 | $53,920 | $25.92 | 22,850 |
| May 2024 | $57,250 | $27.52 | 25,640 |
| May 2025 | $58,340 | $28.05 | 25,660 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
44 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $57.55 | $119,690 | $57,700 | $165,540 | 1,310 | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $57.44 | $119,480 | $78,880 | $161,450 | 170 | 0.09 | 0.53 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $54.87 | $114,130 | $51,840 | $123,770 | 250 | 0.16 | 0.97 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $51.74 | $107,610 | $73,290 | $124,160 | 330 | 0.08 | 0.47 |
| 5 | Minnesota profile | $50.80 | $105,670 | $54,090 | $115,850 | 250 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| 6 | Illinois profile | $48.27 | $100,400 | $57,350 | $115,290 | 1,100 | 0.18 | 1.10 |
| 7 | Washington profile | $44.29 | $92,120 | $60,150 | $129,790 | 500 | 0.14 | 0.85 |
| 8 | Hawaii profile | $42.10 | $87,570 | $63,380 | $115,450 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | Wisconsin profile | $40.92 | $85,120 | $50,800 | $94,680 | 600 | 0.21 | 1.24 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $40.58 | $84,410 | $60,150 | $103,610 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.72 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania profile | $38.83 | $80,770 | $49,000 | $101,850 | 590 | 0.10 | 0.59 |
| 12 | Arizona profile | $38.66 | $80,410 | $46,570 | $90,240 | ** | ** | ** |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $37.82 | $78,660 | $48,290 | $92,980 | 830 | 0.28 | 1.70 |
| 14 | Rhode Island profile | $37.09 | $77,150 | $59,350 | $97,870 | 60 | 0.11 | 0.69 |
| 15 | Nebraska profile | $36.51 | $75,940 | $40,570 | $83,380 | 130 | 0.13 | 0.76 |
| 16 | West Virginia profile | $35.68 | $74,200 | $57,330 | $93,960 | 90 | 0.13 | 0.81 |
| 17 | Indiana profile | $34.72 | $72,220 | $46,740 | $94,990 | 1,320 | 0.41 | 2.50 |
| 18 | Maryland profile | $33.67 | $70,030 | $48,110 | $83,930 | 450 | 0.16 | 0.98 |
| 19 | Ohio profile | $32.50 | $67,600 | $47,640 | $84,540 | 990 | 0.18 | 1.08 |
| 20 | Massachusetts profile | $31.11 | $64,710 | $43,760 | $78,390 | 560 | 0.16 | 0.94 |
| 21 | Maine profile | $30.57 | $63,580 | $51,090 | $73,690 | 400 | 0.62 | 3.75 |
| 22 | Oklahoma profile | $29.73 | $61,840 | $38,820 | $75,450 | 250 | 0.15 | 0.90 |
| 23 | New York profile | $28.42 | $59,120 | $45,540 | $97,560 | 1,490 | 0.15 | 0.93 |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $28.30 | $58,860 | $47,420 | $82,240 | 650 | 0.15 | 0.90 |
| 25 | North Dakota profile | $27.95 | $58,140 | $46,920 | $74,550 | 400 | 0.93 | 5.65 |
| 26 | Virginia profile | $27.41 | $57,010 | $41,010 | $63,500 | 1,350 | 0.33 | 1.99 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $26.92 | $55,990 | $40,540 | $112,060 | 380 | 0.22 | 1.31 |
| 28 | Iowa profile | $26.17 | $54,440 | $42,320 | $65,990 | 140 | 0.09 | 0.55 |
| 29 | New Mexico profile | $25.54 | $53,120 | $44,470 | $73,990 | ** | ** | ** |
| 30 | Georgia profile | $25.29 | $52,600 | $39,830 | $64,000 | 660 | 0.13 | 0.81 |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $24.71 | $51,390 | $46,770 | $81,870 | 130 | 0.10 | 0.61 |
| 32 | South Carolina profile | $24.25 | $50,440 | $43,490 | $80,460 | 630 | 0.27 | 1.65 |
| 33 | Mississippi profile | $24.13 | $50,180 | $36,660 | $70,720 | 120 | 0.11 | 0.65 |
| 34 | Florida profile | $23.88 | $49,660 | $36,730 | $61,550 | 480 | 0.05 | 0.29 |
| 35 | Colorado profile | $23.58 | $49,050 | $44,780 | $68,880 | 520 | 0.18 | 1.09 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $23.58 | $49,050 | $45,340 | $62,370 | 130 | 0.09 | 0.54 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $23.52 | $48,930 | $42,120 | $58,200 | ** | ** | ** |
| 38 | Texas profile | $23.52 | $48,930 | $39,480 | $60,380 | 4,190 | 0.30 | 1.80 |
| 39 | North Carolina profile | $23.28 | $48,430 | $35,240 | $57,020 | 1,090 | 0.22 | 1.33 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $23.21 | $48,280 | $37,330 | $58,870 | 620 | 0.32 | 1.95 |
| 41 | Wyoming profile | $23.17 | $48,190 | $46,030 | $62,080 | 540 | 1.94 | 11.72 |
| 42 | Tennessee profile | $22.30 | $46,380 | $36,980 | $73,570 | 670 | 0.20 | 1.23 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $22.19 | $46,150 | $42,630 | $61,510 | ** | ** | ** |
| 44 | Delaware profile | $21.56 | $44,850 | $38,460 | $77,300 | 340 | 0.71 | 4.31 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (47-2130), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2132 Insulation Workers, Mechanical.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2132, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2132.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.