Construction and Extraction Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 47-2132

Insulation Workers, Mechanical

O*NET task statements lead this Insulation Workers, Mechanical card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Pile Driver Operators, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Insulation Workers, Mechanical: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($110K) , Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($63K) , Pile Driver Operators ($73K) , Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining ($75K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Insulation Workers, Mechanical publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 47-2132 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors
  2. 2. Apply, remove, and repair insulation on industrial equipment, pipes, ductwork, or other mechanical systems such as heat exchangers, tanks…
  3. 3. Select appropriate insulation, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam, or cork, based on the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the ma…
  4. 4. Fit insulation around obstructions, and shape insulating materials and protective coverings as required
  5. 5. Determine the amounts and types of insulation needed, and methods of installation, based on factors such as location, surface shape, and…
  6. 6. Cover, seal, or finish insulated surfaces or access holes with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement, or asphalt mastic
  7. 7. Install sheet metal around insulated pipes with screws to protect the insulation from weather conditions or physical damage
  8. 8. Read blueprints and specifications to determine job requirements
  9. 9. Prepare surfaces for insulation application by brushing or spreading on adhesives, cement, or asphalt, or by attaching metal pins to surf…

Insulation Workers, Mechanical: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 47-2132 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.0 ; lead knowledge Building and Construction. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.0
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.0
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.0
  4. 4. Coordination 3.0
  5. 5. Time Management 3.0
  6. 6. Speaking 2.9
  7. 7. Judgment and Decision Making 2.9
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Building and Construction 4.3
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 4.1
  3. 3. Mechanical 4.1
  4. 4. Administration and Management 4.0
  5. 5. Education and Training 3.9
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$58,340
/year · 9 published task lines above
Lead task: Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors
$58K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
2,300
Annual openings
25,660
Estimated US jobs
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $110K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Insulation Workers, Mechanical

1. Nevada $114,130
2. California $119,690
3. Wisconsin $85,120
4. New Jersey $107,610
5. Alaska $84,410
6. Illinois $100,400
7. Washington $92,120
8. Minnesota $105,670
9. Hawaii $87,570
10. Oregon $119,480

Other Construction and Extraction Occupations titles

  1. 1. Pile Driver Operators $73,300
  2. 2. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers $109,910
  3. 3. Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining $74,500
  4. 4. Structural Iron and Steel Workers $62,780
  5. 5. Boilermakers $76,410
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers $79,920

O*NET publishes 9 leading task statements for Insulation Workers, Mechanical (SOC 47-2132). The national OEWS median is $58,340 inside Construction and Extraction Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers, Structural Iron and Steel Workers, Pile Driver Operators, Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining. Lead published task: Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Nevada at $114,130. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers at $109,910. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Insulation Workers, Mechanical pay-rank #26 in Construction and Extraction Occupations

Insulation Workers, Mechanical sits at pay-rank #26 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 47-2132 · national median $58,340 · middle third of Construction and Extraction Occupations (#26/60). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Insulation Workers, Mechanical salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 47-2132

Nevada · top state for Insulation Workers, Mechanical

$114K published median

California · #2 state pay

$120K · behind Nevada

Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Insulation Workers, Mechanical · $110K

Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Insulation Workers, Mechanical · $63K

Compare Insulation Workers, Mechanical

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Insulation Workers, Mechanical with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Insulation Workers, Mechanical full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Insulation Workers, Mechanical mid-table among Construction and Extraction Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #26 of 60 detailed Construction and Extraction Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas ($58K), Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas ($59K), Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers ($59K), Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers ($59K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do insulation workers, mechanical do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Insulation Workers, Mechanical. Leading ones include: Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors; Apply, remove, and repair insulation on industrial equipment, pipes, ductwork, or other mechanical systems such as heat exchangers, tanks…; Select appropriate insulation, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam, or cork, based on the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the ma…; Fit insulation around obstructions, and shape insulating materials and protective coverings as required. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for insulation workers, mechanical? ▼
For SOC 47-2132, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0), Coordination (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Insulation Workers, Mechanical? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $58,340 as the national median for Insulation Workers, Mechanical. The published 10th-90th range is $42,470 to $100,220. Beside Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers ($109,910), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Insulation Workers, Mechanical? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Insulation Workers, Mechanical is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 2,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Insulation Workers, Mechanical? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Insulation Workers, Mechanical. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Insulation Workers, Mechanical? ▼
Nevada ($114,130), California ($119,690), Wisconsin ($85,120) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Insulation Workers, Mechanical card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 47-2132. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Insulation Workers, Mechanical. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics