Skilled Wages

Insulation worker salary in Pennsylvania

Median $24.33 an hour for 610 insulation workers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since n/a and the state's own outlook.

$24.33/hrMedian hourly wagePennsylvania, May data
$50,600/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.43 – $35.3810th to 90th percentilehourly range
610Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Insulation worker pay in Pennsylvania: the full range

Wage percentiles, PennsylvaniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrPennsylvania: 10th $18.43 · 25th $21.40 · median $24.33 · 75th $29.49 · 90th $35.38Pennsylvania$24.33$18.43$35.38United 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: Pennsylvania vs United States, May 2025.

Pennsylvania ranks 20th of 48 states for median insulation worker pay, and 25th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.93). 610 insulation workers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$18.43 – $21.40$38,330 – $44,510roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$21.40 – $29.49$44,510 – $61,350the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$29.49 – $35.38$61,350 – $73,580the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Insulation worker pay by metro in Pennsylvania

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrPhiladelphia: $24.19Philadelphia$24.19York: $23.69York$23.69Pittsburgh: $22.65Pittsburgh$22.65Lancaster: $22.42Lancaster$22.42Allentown: $20.01Allentown$20.01
Median hourly wage for insulation workers by metro area in Pennsylvania, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Philadelphia$15.49$24.19$23.58$39.043701% below
York$19.92$23.69$24.68$28.72503% below
Pittsburgh$18.14$22.65$23.92$35.381407% below
Lancaster$19.08$22.42$22.81$29.73608% below
Allentown$16.06$20.01$20.01$33.244018% 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 Pennsylvania?

0.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.3× the US share, 46th of 47 states

BLS counted 610 insulation workers in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

+4.2%Projected growth in Pennsylvania2024–2034, state agency
60Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
670Jobs in 2024700 projected for 2034
+2.4%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Pennsylvania's labor market agency projects the number of insulation workers in the state to change by +4.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 670 to 700, with about 60 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 610 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania

On federally funded construction in Pennsylvania, contractors must pay insulation workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 54 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $69.81 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $52.41). 13 of the 67 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Bedford County at $52.41). The market median for the state is $24.33.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, PAAdams: $69.81 (union)Allegheny: $75.93 (union)Armstrong: $75.93 (union)Beaver: $75.93 (union)Bedford: $52.41 (survey)Berks: $69.81 (union)Blair: $69.81 (union)Bradford: $65.25 (union)Bucks: $109.22 (union)Butler: $75.93 (union)Cambria: $69.81 (union)Cameron: $52.41 (survey)Carbon: $69.81 (union)Centre: $72.81 (union)Chester: $109.22 (union)Clarion: $75.93 (union)Clearfield: $52.41 (survey)Clinton: $52.41 (survey)Columbia: $65.25 (union)Crawford: $75.93 (union)Cumberland: $69.81 (union)Dauphin: $69.81 (union)Delaware: $109.22 (union)Elk: $52.41 (survey)Erie: $50.45 (survey)Fayette: $75.93 (union)Forest: $75.93 (union)Franklin: $69.81 (union)Fulton: $52.41 (survey)Greene: $75.93 (union)Huntingdon: $52.41 (survey)Indiana: $75.93 (union)Jefferson: $52.41 (survey)Juniata: $65.25 (union)Lackawanna: $65.25 (union)Lancaster: $69.81 (union)Lawrence: $75.93 (union)Lebanon: $69.81 (union)Lehigh: $69.81 (union)Luzerne: $65.25 (union)Lycoming: $65.25 (union)McKean: $52.41 (survey)Mercer: $50.59 (survey)Mifflin: $65.25 (union)Monroe: $65.25 (union)Montgomery: $109.22 (union)Montour: $65.25 (union)Northampton: $69.81 (union)Northumberland: $65.25 (union)Perry: $69.81 (union)Philadelphia: $109.22 (union)Pike: $65.25 (union)Potter: $52.41 (survey)Schuylkill: $69.81 (union)Snyder: $69.81 (union)Somerset: $52.41 (survey)Sullivan: $65.25 (union)Susquehanna: $65.25 (union)Tioga: $65.25 (union)Union: $65.25 (union)Venango: $75.93 (union)Warren: $75.93 (union)Washington: $75.93 (union)Wayne: $65.25 (union)Westmoreland: $75.93 (union)Wyoming: $65.25 (union)York: $69.81 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$65.25$69.81$75.93survey 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$50$100$150/hrBucks (Philadelphia): market median $24.19, prevailing (union) $109.22, gap +$85.03Bucks (Philadelphia)+$85.03Allegheny (Pittsburgh): market median $22.65, prevailing (union) $75.93, gap +$53.28Allegheny (Pittsburgh)+$53.28Carbon (Allentown): market median $20.01, prevailing (union) $69.81, gap +$49.80Carbon (Allentown)+$49.80Centre (Pennsylvania): market median $24.33, prevailing (union) $72.81, gap +$48.48Centre (Pennsylvania)+$48.48Lancaster (Lancaster): market median $22.42, prevailing (union) $69.81, gap +$47.39Lancaster (Lancaster)+$47.39York (York): market median $23.69, prevailing (union) $69.81, gap +$46.12York (York)+$46.12
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for insulation workers, metro counties in Pennsylvania.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BucksUnion ASBE0014-002 2025-05-01$60.84$48.38$109.22PA20260078
ChesterUnion ASBE0014-002 2025-05-01$60.84$48.38$109.22PA20260083
DelawareUnion ASBE0014-002 2025-05-01$60.84$48.38$109.22PA20260087
MontgomeryUnion ASBE0014-002 2025-05-01$60.84$48.38$109.22PA20260099
PhiladelphiaUnion ASBE0014-001 2025-05-01$60.84$48.38$109.22PA20260003
AlleghenyUnion ASBE0002-001 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260001
ArmstrongUnion ASBE0002-005 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260074
BeaverUnion ASBE0002-005 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260075
ButlerUnion ASBE0002-005 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260079
ClarionUnion ASBE0002-006 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260046
CrawfordUnion ASBE0002-006 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260049
FayetteUnion ASBE0002-005 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260089
ForestUnion ASBE0002-006 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260051
GreeneUnion ASBE0002-006 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260053
IndianaUnion ASBE0002-006 2024-08-01$46.50$29.43$75.93PA20260055

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Pennsylvania prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Pennsylvania?

272.0kConstruction jobsPennsylvania, 2026-09
-0.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025272kSep 2026
Construction employment in Pennsylvania (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Insulation worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Pennsylvania

More on Pennsylvania

Questions this page answers

How much do insulation workers make in Pennsylvania?

The median insulation worker in Pennsylvania earned $24.33 an hour ($50,600 a year) in May 2025, 3% above the national median of $23.62. The middle half earn $21.40–$29.49; the top 10% earn more than $35.38.

Where does Pennsylvania rank for insulation worker pay?

Pennsylvania ranks 20th of 48 states for insulation worker pay, with a median of $24.33 an hour, and 25th after adjusting for Pennsylvania's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.6, US = 100).

What is the union insulation worker rate in Pennsylvania?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for insulation workers in 54 counties, with a typical package of $69.81 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many insulation workers work in Pennsylvania?

BLS counted 610 insulation workers in Pennsylvania in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.35; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is insulation worker work growing in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania's labor market agency projects +4.2% growth for insulation workers between 2024 and 2034, from 670 to 700 jobs.

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

Pennsylvania projects about 60 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, Pennsylvania 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 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Pennsylvania labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.