Insulation worker salary: what insulation workers actually make
BLS employer-survey wages for 44,440 insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) nationwide, plus the union scale contractors must pay on federal jobs.
Highest-paying metros for insulation workers
| Metro | Median $/hr | 90th pct | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $34.61 | $64.47 | 1,250 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $30.39 | $40.24 | 550 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $29.68 | $56.65 | 1,500 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $28.39 | $43.72 | 520 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $28.29 | $45.76 | 600 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $28.00 | $50.04 | 870 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $26.31 | $47.15 | 580 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $26.16 | $34.64 | 550 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $24.87 | $36.02 | 730 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $24.00 | $30.83 | 2,100 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $23.30 | $50.69 | 830 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $23.30 | $34.43 | 650 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $23.14 | $30.41 | 2,430 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $23.12 | $29.97 | 1,100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $22.07 | $37.54 | 1,330 |
Union scale and prevailing wage for insulation workers
Federal construction projects must pay the Davis-Bacon rate for each county. Where the rate comes from a union contract it is the local journeyman scale: base wage plus fringe (health, pension, training). Where it comes from a survey, it is often older and lower. This table summarises the Building-construction determination for insulation workers in every state.
| State | Counties with a union rate | Typical union package (base + fringe, $/hr) | Typical survey rate | Counties with a rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 100% | $96.60 | — | 21/21 |
| Washington | 77% | $94.19 | $28.28 | 39/39 |
| Massachusetts | 100% | $92.08 | — | 14/14 |
| California | 91% | $89.63 | $27.21 | 57/58 |
| South Dakota | 88% | $89.37 | $15.20 | 66/66 |
| Wisconsin | 72% | $89.37 | $33.73 | 72/72 |
| Rhode Island | 100% | $86.54 | — | 5/5 |
| Oregon | 100% | $84.38 | — | 36/36 |
| Illinois | 100% | $84.03 | — | 99/102 |
| Connecticut | 100% | $82.46 | — | 8/17 |
| Kansas | 94% | $81.07 | $35.54 | 105/105 |
| New Hampshire | 100% | $80.99 | — | 10/10 |
| Hawaii | 100% | $76.65 | — | 5/5 |
| Missouri | 93% | $70.72 | $72.81 | 114/115 |
| New York | 69% | $70.54 | $52.38 | 58/62 |
| Pennsylvania | 81% | $69.81 | $52.41 | 67/67 |
| West Virginia | 96% | $68.92 | $46.01 | 55/55 |
| Arizona | 100% | $67.36 | — | 1/15 |
| Indiana | 100% | $65.88 | — | 78/92 |
| Montana | 98% | $65.68 | $25.09 | 56/56 |
| Ohio | 88% | $65.27 | $62.27 | 88/88 |
| Michigan | 83% | $63.65 | $27.13 | 83/83 |
| District of Columbia | 100% | $60.94 | — | 1/1 |
| Virginia | 100% | $60.94 | — | 102/133 |
| Iowa | 8% | $60.41 | $22.49 | 99/99 |
| Alaska | 100% | $57.81 | — | 30/30 |
| Tennessee | 100% | $56.99 | — | 42/95 |
| Colorado | 81% | $53.80 | $31.09 | 64/64 |
| Georgia | 100% | $52.70 | — | 74/159 |
| Kentucky | 82% | $50.89 | $52.93 | 119/120 |
| New Mexico | 33% | $48.49 | $32.87 | 21/33 |
| Alabama | 100% | $47.50 | — | 29/67 |
| Florida | 77% | $43.23 | $31.67 | 44/67 |
| Louisiana | 100% | $42.52 | — | 64/64 |
| Texas | 85% | $40.75 | $26.90 | 246/254 |
| Arkansas | 0% | — | $21.92 | 20/75 |
| Idaho | 0% | — | $21.93 | 25/44 |
| Maryland | 0% | — | $61.19 | 20/24 |
| Minnesota | 0% | — | $93.24 | 87/87 |
| North Dakota | 0% | — | $18.85 | 53/53 |
| Nevada | 0% | — | $83.27 | 17/17 |
| South Carolina | 0% | — | $57.36 | 3/46 |
| Utah | 0% | — | $13.77 | 27/29 |
Source: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions, Building construction type. Not the official determination; see each state page for county detail and links to the official text.
Job outlook
The BLS Employment Projections program expects insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) employment to change by +2.4% over 2025-35, with about 3,000 openings a year from growth and people leaving the occupation. Typical entry education: No formal educational credential.
Compare insulation worker pay with other trades
See how insulation worker pay compares with other trades on the ranking of all trades and the comparison pages.
Questions this page answers
How much do insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) make?
The median insulation worker earned $23.62 an hour, or $49,120 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 44,440 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $20.77 and $29.32 an hour.
How much do insulation workers make an hour?
Hourly pay runs from about $17.80 at the 10th percentile to $37.59 at the 90th, with a median of $23.62. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.
What does a starting or apprentice insulation worker make?
Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $17.80 to $20.77 an hour ($37,030 to $43,200 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.
Which state pays insulation workers the most?
Nebraska had the highest median at $35.16 an hour in May 2025, followed by Washington ($32.57) and Mississippi ($30.23). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.
Is insulation worker a good career?
By the numbers: median pay of $49,120 a year, a 90th percentile of $78,190, projected growth of +2.4% and about 3,000 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2131, 47-2132 (Insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical)). Wages exclude overtime and benefits.
- Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
- Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, latest year.
- Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national. Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.