Insulation Workers, Mechanical

Median salary

$58,340

Average salary

$65,530

Employment

25,660

Projected growth

4.7% growth

Annual openings

2,300

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Insulation Workers, Mechanical Do

Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Apprenticeship
Self-employed: 3.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Building and Constructionimportance 4.3/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.1/5
Mechanicalimportance 4.1/5
Administration and Managementimportance 4.0/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.9/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.8/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.7/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
Spend Time Standing4.7/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.6/5
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles4.5/5
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
Time Pressure4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Tapers95% skill match
Paperhangers94% skill match
Glaziers93% skill match
Roofers90% skill match
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand90% skill match
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers90% skill match
Plasterers and Stucco Masons90% skill match
Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters89% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.8/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5
Operation and Controlimportance 2.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

CMSN FieldPAK
Comput-Ability Mechanical Insulation Key Estimator
IBM Maximo Asset Management
North American Insulation Manufacturers Association NAIMA 3E Plus
Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Dependability
Attention to Detail
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Achievement Orientation
Integrity
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
SocialLow
ArtisticLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where insulation workers, mechanical make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).