47 Series · SOC 47-2131
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $49,120
- Median / year
- $78,190
- Top 10% earn
- +3.8%
- Growth '23–'33
- 44,440
- US workers
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall earn a median of $49,120 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $49,120, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,030 (10th percentile) to $78,190 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 44,440 US workers. Nebraska pays the most ($73,140), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall earn a median of $49,120, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 31% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Construction and Extraction, it ranks #47 of 60 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3.8% by 2033.
- $49,120
- Median annual wage
- Top 69%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #47 of 60
- in Construction and Extraction
- 2.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Nebraska at $73,140. Typical entry-level education: No formal educational credential.
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (SOC 47-2131) pays a national median of $49,120 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,030 at the 10th percentile to $78,190 at the 90th, with a mean of $54,740 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 44,440 Americans work in this occupation across 49 reporting states and 135 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 3,400 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is No formal educational credential and short-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 12.4 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.5 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Nebraska pays the highest state median at $73,140, which is +49% above the national figure. The top metro is Omaha, NE-IA at $81,880 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$49,120
per year
Median Hourly
$23.62/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$54,740
average
Employment
44,440
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$49,120 Bottom 31% higher than 31% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 47-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 24 47-series occupations with growth data, Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall sits on the slower-growing side at +3.8% growth and $49,120 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3.8%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
3,400
per year (projected)
Typical Education
No formal educational credential
On-the-Job Training
Short-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
12.4/100K
Injury Rate
3.5/100
Danger Index
20.2/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Remove old insulation, such as asbestos, following safety procedures.
- ▸ Prepare surfaces for insulation application by brushing or spreading on adhesives, cement, or asphalt, or by attaching metal pins to surfaces.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,030
25th Percentile
$43,200
Median
$49,120
75th Percentile
$60,980
90th Percentile
$78,190
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 49 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nebraska | $73,140 | +49% above national |
| 2 | Washington | $67,750 | +38% above national |
| 3 | Mississippi | $62,880 | +28% above national |
| 4 | Oregon | $60,210 | +23% above national |
| 5 | New York | $59,100 | +20% above national |
| 6 | Maryland | $58,420 | +19% above national |
| 7 | Ohio | $58,400 | +19% above national |
| 8 | Alaska | $56,470 | +15% above national |
| 9 | Missouri | $56,040 | +14% above national |
| 10 | Iowa | $55,820 | +14% above national |
| 11 | Indiana | $54,630 | +11% above national |
| 12 | Minnesota | $54,350 | +11% above national |
| 13 | Delaware | $53,570 | +9% above national |
| 14 | Vermont | $53,570 | +9% above national |
| 15 | Illinois | $53,000 | +8% above national |
| 16 | New Jersey | $52,750 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Kansas | $51,520 | +5% above national |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $51,320 | +4% above national |
| 19 | Colorado | $50,800 | +3% above national |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $50,600 | +3% above national |
| 21 | Kentucky | $49,730 | +1% above national |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $49,520 | +1% above national |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $48,940 | same as national |
| 24 | California | $48,840 | 1% below national |
| 25 | Alabama | $48,740 | 1% below national |
| 26 | Texas | $48,740 | 1% below national |
| 27 | Connecticut | $48,550 | 1% below national |
| 28 | New Mexico | $48,460 | 1% below national |
| 29 | Tennessee | $48,410 | 1% below national |
| 30 | Montana | $48,100 | 2% below national |
| 31 | Georgia | $47,810 | 3% below national |
| 32 | Maine | $47,790 | 3% below national |
| 33 | Louisiana | $47,340 | 4% below national |
| 34 | Florida | $47,100 | 4% below national |
| 35 | South Carolina | $47,020 | 4% below national |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $46,880 | 5% below national |
| 37 | Nevada | $46,510 | 5% below national |
| 38 | Michigan | $46,490 | 5% below national |
| 39 | North Dakota | $46,450 | 5% below national |
| 40 | Wyoming | $46,200 | 6% below national |
| 41 | South Dakota | $45,820 | 7% below national |
| 42 | Virginia | $44,810 | 9% below national |
| 43 | Arkansas | $43,730 | 11% below national |
| 44 | North Carolina | $42,990 | 12% below national |
| 45 | Arizona | $42,210 | 14% below national |
| 46 | Idaho | $41,550 | 15% below national |
| 47 | Utah | $40,080 | 18% below national |
| 48 | West Virginia | $35,390 | 28% below national |
| 49 | Puerto Rico | $27,040 | 45% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 135 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omaha, NE-IA | $81,880 | +67% above national |
| 2 | Columbus, OH | $80,000 | +63% above national |
| 3 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $79,660 | +62% above national |
| 4 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $76,610 | +56% above national |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,170 | +55% above national |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $71,980 | +47% above national |
| 7 | Medford, OR | $71,470 | +46% above national |
| 8 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $70,410 | +43% above national |
| 9 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $65,930 | +34% above national |
| 10 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $63,200 | +29% above national |
| 11 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $62,710 | +28% above national |
| 12 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $62,400 | +27% above national |
| 13 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,730 | +26% above national |
| 14 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $61,690 | +26% above national |
| 15 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $60,960 | +24% above national |
| 16 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $60,730 | +24% above national |
| 17 | Salem, OR | $60,290 | +23% above national |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | $59,440 | +21% above national |
| 19 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $59,290 | +21% above national |
| 20 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $59,040 | +20% above national |
| 21 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $58,890 | +20% above national |
| 22 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $58,850 | +20% above national |
| 23 | Salisbury, MD | $58,420 | +19% above national |
| 24 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $58,360 | +19% above national |
| 25 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $58,240 | +19% above national |
| 26 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $57,600 | +17% above national |
| 27 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $57,190 | +16% above national |
| 28 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $56,930 | +16% above national |
| 29 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $56,830 | +16% above national |
| 30 | Huntsville, AL | $56,780 | +16% above national |
| 31 | Syracuse, NY | $56,680 | +15% above national |
| 32 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $56,460 | +15% above national |
| 33 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $56,110 | +14% above national |
| 34 | Rochester, NY | $55,960 | +14% above national |
| 35 | Anchorage, AK | $55,800 | +14% above national |
| 36 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $54,730 | +11% above national |
| 37 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $54,400 | +11% above national |
| 38 | Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $53,570 | +9% above national |
| 39 | Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $52,000 | +6% above national |
| 40 | Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $52,000 | +6% above national |
| 41 | Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $52,000 | +6% above national |
| 42 | Utica-Rome, NY | $51,950 | +6% above national |
| 43 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $51,740 | +5% above national |
| 44 | Wichita, KS | $51,520 | +5% above national |
| 45 | Columbia, SC | $50,750 | +3% above national |
| 46 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $50,320 | +2% above national |
| 47 | Billings, MT | $50,210 | +2% above national |
| 48 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $50,120 | +2% above national |
| 49 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $49,950 | +2% above national |
| 50 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $49,930 | +2% above national |
| 51 | Rockford, IL | $49,740 | +1% above national |
| 52 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,720 | +1% above national |
| 53 | Montgomery, AL | $49,610 | +1% above national |
| 54 | Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $49,320 | same as national |
| 55 | Green Bay, WI | $49,310 | same as national |
| 56 | York-Hanover, PA | $49,280 | same as national |
| 57 | Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $49,140 | same as national |
| 58 | Barnstable Town, MA | $49,070 | same as national |
| 59 | Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | $49,000 | same as national |
| 60 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $48,740 | 1% below national |
| 61 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $48,470 | 1% below national |
| 62 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $48,470 | 1% below national |
| 63 | Knoxville, TN | $48,380 | 2% below national |
| 64 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $48,310 | 2% below national |
| 65 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $48,310 | 2% below national |
| 66 | Mobile, AL | $48,300 | 2% below national |
| 67 | Albuquerque, NM | $48,260 | 2% below national |
| 68 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $48,140 | 2% below national |
| 69 | Baton Rouge, LA | $48,090 | 2% below national |
| 70 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $48,000 | 2% below national |
| 71 | Lewiston-Auburn, ME | $47,870 | 3% below national |
| 72 | Corpus Christi, TX | $47,770 | 3% below national |
| 73 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $47,610 | 3% below national |
| 74 | Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | $47,510 | 3% below national |
| 75 | Tulsa, OK | $47,420 | 3% below national |
| 76 | Springfield, MO | $47,360 | 4% below national |
| 77 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $47,350 | 4% below national |
| 78 | Cleveland, OH | $47,340 | 4% below national |
| 79 | Helena, MT | $47,330 | 4% below national |
| 80 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $47,270 | 4% below national |
| 81 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $47,220 | 4% below national |
| 82 | Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $47,130 | 4% below national |
| 83 | Tallahassee, FL | $47,120 | 4% below national |
| 84 | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,110 | 4% below national |
| 85 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $47,100 | 4% below national |
| 86 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $47,070 | 4% below national |
| 87 | Naples-Marco Island, FL | $47,050 | 4% below national |
| 88 | Northeast Maine nonmetropolitan area | $46,950 | 4% below national |
| 89 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,850 | 5% below national |
| 90 | Jacksonville, FL | $46,740 | 5% below national |
| 91 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $46,650 | 5% below national |
| 92 | Lancaster, PA | $46,640 | 5% below national |
| 93 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $46,520 | 5% below national |
| 94 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $46,510 | 5% below national |
| 95 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $46,500 | 5% below national |
| 96 | Fargo, ND-MN | $46,450 | 5% below national |
| 97 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,390 | 6% below national |
| 98 | Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $46,370 | 6% below national |
| 99 | Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | $46,180 | 6% below national |
| 100 | Cheyenne, WY | $46,050 | 6% below national |
| 101 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $46,030 | 6% below national |
| 102 | Columbia, MO | $46,000 | 6% below national |
| 103 | Mansfield, OH | $45,980 | 6% below national |
| 104 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $45,900 | 7% below national |
| 105 | Rapid City, SD | $45,760 | 7% below national |
| 106 | Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | $45,680 | 7% below national |
| 107 | Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area | $45,500 | 7% below national |
| 108 | Auburn-Opelika, AL | $45,350 | 8% below national |
| 109 | Fort Wayne, IN | $45,340 | 8% below national |
| 110 | Jackson, MI | $45,330 | 8% below national |
| 111 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $45,150 | 8% below national |
| 112 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $45,050 | 8% below national |
| 113 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $44,520 | 9% below national |
| 114 | Lafayette, LA | $44,080 | 10% below national |
| 115 | Lubbock, TX | $43,890 | 11% below national |
| 116 | Savannah, GA | $43,860 | 11% below national |
| 117 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $43,730 | 11% below national |
| 118 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $43,470 | 12% below national |
| 119 | West Montana nonmetropolitan area | $43,320 | 12% below national |
| 120 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $43,160 | 12% below national |
| 121 | Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area | $42,510 | 13% below national |
| 122 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $42,320 | 14% below national |
| 123 | Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $42,210 | 14% below national |
| 124 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $41,620 | 15% below national |
| 125 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $40,120 | 18% below national |
| 126 | Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $40,100 | 18% below national |
| 127 | Ogden, UT | $39,110 | 20% below national |
| 128 | Lynchburg, VA | $38,230 | 22% below national |
| 129 | Wilmington, NC | $37,720 | 23% below national |
| 130 | Winston-Salem, NC | $37,440 | 24% below national |
| 131 | Visalia, CA | $37,160 | 24% below national |
| 132 | Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | $36,530 | 26% below national |
| 133 | North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $36,220 | 26% below national |
| 134 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $35,120 | 29% below national |
| 135 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $27,040 | 45% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 47 (construction and extraction) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall make? ▼
What state pays Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall? ▼
How dangerous is being a Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall? ▼
Is Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall a good career? ▼
How does Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $60,980/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Nebraska leads at $73,140/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.