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Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall: Job Description
Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.
What Do Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Take On?
The core tasks performed by insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall span:
- Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, power saws, knives, or scissors.
- Fit, wrap, staple, or glue insulating materials to structures or surfaces, using hand tools or wires.
- Cover and line structures with blown or rolled forms of materials to insulate against cold, heat, or moisture, using saws, knives, rasps, trowels, blowers, or other tools and implements.
- Distribute insulating materials evenly into small spaces within floors, ceilings, or walls, using blowers and hose attachments, or cement mortars.
- Move controls, buttons, or levers to start blowers and regulate flow of materials through nozzles.
- Fill blower hoppers with insulating materials.
- Cover, seal, or finish insulated surfaces or access holes with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement or asphalt mastic.
- Read blueprints, and select appropriate insulation, based on space characteristics and the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Air Conditioning Insulation Installer
- Attic Blower
- Blower Insulator
- Ceiling Insulation Blower
- Composition Weatherboard Installer
- Construction Insulation Installer
- Containment Worker
- Cork Insulation Installer
Employment and Demand
There are about 651,661 insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -1.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $70,937 |
| Hourly median | $34.10 |
| 10th percentile | $49,344 |
| 25th percentile | $60,140 |
| 75th percentile | $81,734 |
| 90th percentile | $92,530 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $63,500 |
| Oregon | $62,830 |
| Nevada | $61,920 |
| Mississippi | $60,930 |
| Maryland | $58,870 |
| Maine | $58,750 |
| Massachusetts | $57,150 |
| Ohio | $56,640 |
| Minnesota | $56,050 |
| New Jersey | $55,770 |
| Wisconsin | $54,640 |
| Vermont | $52,000 |
| Indiana | $50,510 |
| Louisiana | $50,040 |
| North Dakota | $49,860 |
| Illinois | $49,840 |
| Montana | $49,770 |
| Washington | $49,760 |
| Missouri | $49,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,100 |
| Connecticut | $48,980 |
| Iowa | $48,960 |
| Colorado | $48,630 |
| Florida | $48,350 |
| Utah | $48,330 |
| Texas | $48,010 |
| Wyoming | $47,700 |
| Arizona | $47,570 |
| Alabama | $47,260 |
| Kansas | $46,710 |
| Delaware | $46,700 |
| Georgia | $45,900 |
| South Carolina | $45,880 |
| Oklahoma | $45,730 |
| Michigan | $45,700 |
| Kentucky | $45,340 |
| Arkansas | $45,220 |
| Tennessee | $45,170 |
| North Carolina | $45,150 |
| California | $44,620 |
| Nebraska | $44,560 |
| Virginia | $44,290 |
| New Mexico | $42,740 |
| New Hampshire | $42,390 |
| Idaho | $41,340 |
| Alaska | $40,330 |
| South Dakota | $40,190 |
| West Virginia | $37,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,740 |
Where Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Earn the Most
Pay for insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $58,651 | 12.0% | 0.89 |
| New England | $54,571 | 4.6% | 1.16 |
| Great Lakes | $51,819 | 11.8% | 0.83 |
| Plains States | $50,283 | 9.3% | 1.40 |
| Far Western US | $49,815 | 11.6% | 0.84 |
| Rocky Mountains | $47,630 | 6.4% | 2.01 |
| Southwest | $47,550 | 20.1% | 1.61 |
| Southeast | $47,325 | 24.2% | 1.27 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medford, OR | OR | $65,830 | 60 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $65,330 | 60 |
| Columbus, OH | OH | $65,100 | 480 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $64,510 | 1,950 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $63,660 | 440 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $63,040 | 110 |
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | WA | $60,270 | 70 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $58,960 | 90 |
Which Industries Hire Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
The largest employers of insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 36,760 | $48,590 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 590 | $48,420 |
| Manufacturing | 360 | $56,150 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 210 | $55,540 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 180 | $43,390 |
| Retail Trade | 160 | $33,380 |
Below are examples of industries where insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall work:
Software Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Use
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall reflects the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Standing
- Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Contaminants
How to Become Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
Entry-level insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons (Primary-Long)
- Carpenters (Primary-Long)
- Carpet Installers (Supplemental)
- Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles (Primary-Short)
- Tile and Stone Setters (Primary-Long)
- Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (Supplemental)
- Construction Laborers (Supplemental)
- Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Aspiring insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall typically earn programs in:
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 47-2131.00 (Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall).