Skilled Wages

Insulation worker salary in Virginia

Median $21.54 an hour for — insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical), May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since n/a.

$21.54/hrMedian hourly wageVirginia, May data
$44,810/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.83 – $29.5510th to 90th percentilehourly range
—Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Insulation worker pay in Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40/hrVirginia: 10th $17.83 · 25th $19.66 · median $21.54 · 75th $25.34 · 90th $29.55Virginia$21.54$17.83$29.55United 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 (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical): Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

Virginia ranks 42nd of 48 states for median insulation worker pay, and 43rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $21.31). — insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.83 – $19.66$37,080 – $40,890roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$19.66 – $25.34$40,890 – $52,720the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$25.34 – $29.55$52,720 – $61,470the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Insulation worker pay by metro in Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrWashington DC: $22.07Washington DC$22.07Virginia Beach: $21.03Virginia Beach$21.03Lynchburg: $18.38Lynchburg$18.38
Median hourly wage for insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) by metro area in Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$19.75$22.07$37.541,3302% above
Virginia Beach$17.07$21.03$25.871602% below
Lynchburg$17.27$18.38$24.425015% below

Union scale and prevailing wage for insulation workers in Virginia

On federally funded construction in Virginia, contractors must pay insulation workers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 102 of the 102 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $60.94 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $21.54.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, VAAccomack: $60.94 (union)Albemarle: $60.94 (union)Alleghany: $60.94 (union)Amelia: $60.94 (union)Amherst: $60.94 (union)Appomattox: $60.94 (union)Arlington: $60.94 (union)Augusta: $60.94 (union)Bath: $60.94 (union)Bedford: $60.94 (union)Bland: $60.94 (union)Botetourt: $60.94 (union)Brunswick: $60.94 (union)Buchanan: $60.94 (union)Buckingham: $60.94 (union)Campbell: $60.94 (union)Caroline: $60.94 (union)Carroll: $60.94 (union)Charles City: $60.94 (union)Charlotte: $60.94 (union)Chesterfield: $60.94 (union)Clarke: $60.94 (union)Craig: $60.94 (union)Culpeper: $60.94 (union)Cumberland: $60.94 (union)Dickenson: $60.94 (union)Dinwiddie: $60.94 (union)Essex: $60.94 (union)Fairfax: $60.94 (union)Fauquier: $60.94 (union)Floyd: $60.94 (union)Fluvanna: $60.94 (union)Franklin: $60.94 (union)Frederick: $60.94 (union)Giles: $60.94 (union)Gloucester: $60.94 (union)Goochland: $60.94 (union)Grayson: $60.94 (union)Greene: $60.94 (union)Greensville: $60.94 (union)Halifax: $60.94 (union)Hanover: $60.94 (union)Henrico: $60.94 (union)Henry: $60.94 (union)Highland: $60.94 (union)Isle of Wight: $60.94 (union)James City: $60.94 (union)King and Queen: $60.94 (union)King George: $60.94 (union)King William: $60.94 (union)Lancaster: $60.94 (union)Lee: $60.94 (union)Loudoun: $60.94 (union)Louisa: $60.94 (union)Lunenburg: $60.94 (union)Madison: $60.94 (union)Mathews: $60.94 (union)Mecklenburg: $60.94 (union)Middlesex: $60.94 (union)Montgomery: $60.94 (union)Nelson: $60.94 (union)New Kent: $60.94 (union)Northampton: $60.94 (union)Northumberland: $60.94 (union)Nottoway: $60.94 (union)Orange: $60.94 (union)Page: $60.94 (union)Patrick: $60.94 (union)Pittsylvania: $60.94 (union)Powhatan: $60.94 (union)Prince Edward: $60.94 (union)Prince George: $60.94 (union)Prince William: $60.94 (union)Pulaski: $60.94 (union)Rappahannock: $60.94 (union)Richmond: $60.94 (union)Roanoke: $60.94 (union)Rockbridge: $60.94 (union)Rockingham: $60.94 (union)Russell: $60.94 (union)Scott: $60.94 (union)Shenandoah: $60.94 (union)Smyth: $60.94 (union)Southampton: $60.94 (union)Spotsylvania: $60.94 (union)Stafford: $60.94 (union)Surry: $60.94 (union)Sussex: $60.94 (union)Tazewell: $60.94 (union)Warren: $60.94 (union)Washington: $60.94 (union)Westmoreland: $60.94 (union)Wise: $60.94 (union)Wythe: $60.94 (union)York: $60.94 (union)Alexandria: —Bristol: —Buena Vista: —Charlottesville: —Chesapeake: $60.94 (union)Colonial Heights: —Covington: —Danville: —Emporia: —Fairfax: —Falls Church: —Franklin: —Fredericksburg: —Galax: —Hampton: $60.94 (union)Harrisonburg: —Hopewell: —Lexington: —Lynchburg: —Manassas: —Manassas Park: —Martinsville: —Newport News: $60.94 (union)Norfolk: $60.94 (union)Norton: —Petersburg: —Poquoson: —Portsmouth: $60.94 (union)Radford: —Richmond: —Roanoke: —Salem: —Staunton: —Suffolk: $60.94 (union)Virginia Beach: $60.94 (union)Waynesboro: —Williamsburg: —Winchester: —Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/a
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/hrAmherst (Lynchburg): market median $18.38, prevailing (union) $60.94, gap +$42.56Amherst (Lynchburg)+$42.56Gloucester (Virginia Beach): market median $21.03, prevailing (union) $60.94, gap +$39.91Gloucester (Virginia Beach)+$39.91Albemarle (Virginia): market median $21.54, prevailing (union) $60.94, gap +$39.40Albemarle (Virginia)+$39.40Arlington (Washington DC): market median $22.07, prevailing (union) $60.94, gap +$38.87Arlington (Washington DC)+$38.87
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for insulation workers, metro counties in Virginia.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AccomackUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260007
AlbemarleUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260011
AlleghanyUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260008
AmeliaUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260170
AmherstUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260171
AppomattoxUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260012
ArlingtonUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260013
AugustaUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260014
BathUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260008
BedfordUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260171
BlandUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260009
BotetourtUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260172
BrunswickUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260010
BuchananUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260009
BuckinghamUnion ASBE0024-006 2024-10-01$40.77$20.17$60.94VA20260173

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Virginia prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Virginia?

231.3kConstruction jobsVirginia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025231kAug 2026
Construction employment in Virginia (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Insulation worker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do insulation workers make in Virginia?

The median insulation worker in Virginia earned $21.54 an hour ($44,810 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $23.62. The middle half earn $19.66–$25.34; the top 10% earn more than $29.55.

Where does Virginia rank for insulation worker pay?

Virginia ranks 42nd of 48 states for insulation worker pay, with a median of $21.54 an hour, and 43rd after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 101.1, US = 100).

What is the union insulation worker rate in Virginia?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for insulation workers in 102 counties, with a typical package of $60.94 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many insulation workers work in Virginia?

BLS counted — insulation workers (floor, ceiling, wall, mechanical) in Virginia in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.00; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Virginia and metro areas, SOC 47-2131, 47-2132.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.