Skilled Wages

Insulation worker salary in Ohio

Median $28.08 an hour for 870 insulation workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since n/a and the state's own outlook.

$28.08/hrMedian hourly wageOhio, May data
$58,400/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.21 – $38.4710th to 90th percentilehourly range
870Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

Insulation worker pay in Ohio: the full range

Wage percentiles, OhioMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrOhio: 10th $18.21 · 25th $21.97 · median $28.08 · 75th $38.25 · 90th $38.47Ohio$28.08$18.21$38.47United States: 10th $17.80 · 25th $20.77 · median $23.62 · 75th $29.32 · 90th $37.59United States$23.62
Hourly wage percentiles for insulation workers: Ohio vs United States, May 2025.

Ohio ranks 7th of 48 states for median insulation worker pay, and 5th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.26). 870 insulation workers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$18.21 – $21.97$37,870 – $45,690roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$21.97 – $38.25$45,690 – $79,570the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$38.25 – $38.47$79,570 – $80,010the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Insulation worker pay by metro in Ohio

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrColumbus: $38.46Columbus$38.46Cincinnati: $28.06Cincinnati$28.06Cleveland: $22.76Cleveland$22.76Mansfield: $22.11Mansfield$22.11
Median hourly wage for insulation workers by metro area in Ohio, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Columbus$18.33$38.46$40.27$38.4738037% above
Cincinnati$20.00$28.06$29.41$46.4690about the same as
Cleveland$18.78$22.76$24.24$29.6315019% below
Mansfield$16.79$22.11$24.87$28.014021% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Are there more insulation worker jobs in Ohio?

0.2Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.6× the US share, 44th of 47 states

BLS counted 870 insulation workers in Ohio in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 24%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for insulation workers in Ohio

+3.4%Projected growth in Ohio2024–2034, state agency
110Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
1,340Jobs in 20241,390 projected for 2034
+2.4%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Ohio's labor market agency projects the number of insulation workers in the state to change by +3.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,390, with about 110 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 870 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Ohio labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page), first of this trade's two occupation codes.

Union scale and prevailing wage for insulation workers in Ohio

On federally funded construction in Ohio, contractors must pay insulation workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 77 of the 88 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $65.27 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $62.27). The market median for the state is $28.08.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, OHAdams: $68.92 (union)Allen: $58.27 (union)Ashland: $62.27 (survey)Ashtabula: $62.27 (survey)Athens: $68.92 (union)Auglaize: $65.27 (union)Belmont: $58.27 (union)Brown: $58.27 (union)Butler: $58.27 (union)Carroll: $75.93 (union)Champaign: $65.27 (union)Clark: $58.27 (union)Clermont: $58.27 (union)Clinton: $68.92 (union)Columbiana: $65.42 (union)Coshocton: $75.93 (union)Crawford: $62.27 (survey)Cuyahoga: $70.81 (union)Darke: $65.27 (union)Defiance: $65.27 (union)Delaware: $58.27 (union)Erie: $70.81 (union)Fairfield: $58.27 (union)Fayette: $68.92 (union)Franklin: $58.27 (union)Fulton: $65.27 (union)Gallia: $68.92 (union)Geauga: $70.81 (union)Greene: $58.27 (union)Guernsey: $75.93 (union)Hamilton: $58.27 (union)Hancock: $65.27 (union)Hardin: $65.27 (union)Harrison: $75.93 (union)Henry: $65.27 (union)Highland: $68.92 (union)Hocking: $68.92 (union)Holmes: $62.27 (survey)Huron: $62.27 (survey)Jackson: $68.92 (union)Jefferson: $75.93 (union)Knox: $62.27 (survey)Lake: $70.81 (union)Lawrence: $75.93 (union)Licking: $58.27 (union)Logan: $65.27 (union)Lorain: $70.81 (union)Lucas: $65.27 (union)Madison: $58.27 (union)Mahoning: $58.27 (union)Marion: $62.27 (survey)Medina: $70.81 (union)Meigs: $68.92 (union)Mercer: $65.27 (union)Miami: $58.27 (union)Monroe: $75.93 (union)Montgomery: $58.27 (union)Morgan: $75.93 (union)Morrow: $58.27 (union)Muskingum: $75.93 (union)Noble: $75.93 (union)Ottawa: $65.27 (union)Paulding: $65.27 (union)Perry: $75.93 (union)Pickaway: $58.27 (union)Pike: $68.92 (union)Portage: $70.81 (union)Preble: $58.27 (union)Putnam: $65.27 (union)Richland: $58.27 (union)Ross: $68.92 (union)Sandusky: $62.27 (survey)Scioto: $68.92 (union)Seneca: $62.27 (survey)Shelby: $65.27 (union)Stark: $75.93 (union)Summit: $70.81 (union)Trumbull: $58.27 (union)Tuscarawas: $75.93 (union)Union: $58.27 (union)Van Wert: $65.27 (union)Vinton: $68.92 (union)Warren: $58.27 (union)Washington: $68.92 (union)Wayne: $62.27 (survey)Williams: $65.27 (union)Wood: $65.27 (union)Wyandot: $62.27 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$65.27$66.12$70.81survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for insulation workers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$20$40$60$80$100/hrCuyahoga (Cleveland): market median $22.76, prevailing (union) $70.81, gap +$48.05Cuyahoga (Cleveland)+$48.05Carroll (Ohio): market median $28.08, prevailing (union) $75.93, gap +$47.85Carroll (Ohio)+$47.85Perry (Columbus): market median $38.46, prevailing (union) $75.93, gap +$37.47Perry (Columbus)+$37.47Richland (Mansfield): market median $22.11, prevailing (union) $58.27, gap +$36.16Richland (Mansfield)+$36.16Brown (Cincinnati): market median $28.06, prevailing (union) $58.27, gap +$30.21Brown (Cincinnati)+$30.21
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for insulation workers, metro counties in Ohio.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CarrollUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260106
CoshoctonUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
GuernseyUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
HarrisonUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
JeffersonUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260083
LawrenceUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260085
MonroeUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260049
MorganUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
MuskingumUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260050
NobleUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
PerryUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260065
StarkUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260106
TuscarawasUnion ASBE0002-003 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93OH20260058
CuyahogaUnion ASBE0003-002 2024-08-01$43.88$26.93$70.81OH20260074
ErieUnion ASBE0003-002 2024-08-01$43.88$26.93$70.81OH20260076

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Ohio prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Ohio?

285.5kConstruction jobsOhio, 2026-09
+6.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025286kSep 2026
Construction employment in Ohio (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Insulation worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Ohio

More on Ohio

Questions this page answers

How much do insulation workers make in Ohio?

The median insulation worker in Ohio earned $28.08 an hour ($58,400 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $23.62. The middle half earn $21.97–$38.25; the top 10% earn more than $38.47.

Where does Ohio rank for insulation worker pay?

Ohio ranks 7th of 48 states for insulation worker pay, with a median of $28.08 an hour, and 5th after adjusting for Ohio's cost of living (BEA price parity 92.8, US = 100).

What is the union insulation worker rate in Ohio?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for insulation workers in 77 counties, with a typical package of $65.27 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many insulation workers work in Ohio?

BLS counted 870 insulation workers in Ohio in May 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.55; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is insulation worker work growing in Ohio?

Ohio's labor market agency projects +3.4% growth for insulation workers between 2024 and 2034, from 1,340 to 1,390 jobs.

How many insulation worker openings a year are there in Ohio?

Ohio projects about 110 openings a year for insulation workers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 3,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Ohio and metro areas, SOC 47-2131, 47-2132. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Ohio labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.