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Insulator

Types of Degrees Insulator Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Insulator may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	8
Associate’s Degree	17
Master’s Degree	7

What Insulator Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Insulator emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Insulator graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Insulator emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Insulator program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Insulator careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Insulator graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Handling and Moving Objects	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Getting Information	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.7 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.7 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Insulator professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal	Project management software	—
Comput-Ability Mechanical Insulation Key Estimator	Data base user interface and query software	—
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association NAIMA 3E Plus	Analytical or scientific software	—
CMSN FieldPAK	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Prolog	Development environment software	—
Procore software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management	Project management software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Insulator graduates include:

• Insulation Machine Operator
• Insulation Power Unit Tender
• Insulation Installer
• Insulation Mechanic
• Insulation Worker
• Insulator
• Firestopper Installer
• Commercial Insulator
• Sheet Metal Insulator
• Industrial Pipe Insulator
• Pipe Insulator
• Boiler Coverer
• Marine Insulator
• Duct Insulator
• Insulation Technician (Insulation Tech)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Insulator graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	54.2%
Less than a high school diploma	19.1%
Postsecondary certificate	14.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%
Some college courses	3.9%
Bachelor’s degree	3.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Insulator?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 84.4% of Insulator degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	15.6%
Men	27	84.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Insulator graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	20	62.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1	3.1%
Black or African American	3	9.4%
Race Unknown	8	25.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Insulator Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Insulator graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$33,822
4 years	$32,489
5 years	$37,102

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $37,102 — roughly 10% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Insulator Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Insulator graduates earn a median of $32,489 four years after completion — about 15% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Electrician	30,349
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection	6,978
Carpentry/Carpenter	5,356
Plumbing Technology/Plumber	2,780
Construction Trades	2,761
Building/Property Maintenance	2,023
Building Construction Technology/Technician	1,924
Building/Construction Site Management/Manager	1,530
Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection, Other	733
Pipefitting/Pipefitter and Sprinkler Fitter	613
Mason/Masonry	378
Building/Home/Construction Inspection/Inspector	312

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.