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The national median salary for Insulation Workers, Mechanical is $58,344 per year ($28.05/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,110 and $77,355 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $100,235 per year. There are approximately 25,660 insulation workers, mechanical employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
27K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Apprenticeship
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
17K
$57,920
Building Finishing Contractors
NAICS 238300
4K
$56,700
Other Specialty Trade Contractors
NAICS 238900
830
$59,800
Utility System Construction
NAICS 237100
620
$50,110
Nonresidential Building Construction
NAICS 236200
510
$60,950
Wage range across top 5 industries: $50,110 to $60,950 (22% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$20.42
$42,474
P25
$23.13
$48,110
P50MEDIAN
$28.05
$58,344
P75
$37.19
$77,355
P90
$48.19
$100,235
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average insulation workers, mechanical salary?
The national median salary for Insulation Workers, Mechanical is $58,344 per year ($28.05/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,110 and $77,355 annually.
How much do top-earning insulation workers, mechanical make?
The 90th percentile salary for Insulation Workers, Mechanical is $100,235 per year ($48.19/hr). The 75th percentile is $77,355 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for insulation workers, mechanical?
Entry-level Insulation Workers, Mechanical (10th percentile) earn approximately $42,474 per year ($20.42/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,110 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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