TL;DR

About 38,610 insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall nationally earn a mean of $52,962. Employment in the series shown rose about 67% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.7% annual decline.

Key Statistics

38,610
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$52,962
Average Salary

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall: what the data shows

Common questions about insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall?

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2131.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 38,610 workers.

What does a insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall make?

BLS national median annual wage: $48,680 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $52,962 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$38,046
25th percentile$39,549
Median (50th)$45,932
75th percentile$59,077
90th percentile$80,725

What education do you need?

For Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).

These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, and knowledge areas including Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.7% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -12.9%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -24.1%.

Current U.S. headcount: 38,610.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and walls work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry38,61017.3%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only38,59017.3%
Construction36,76016.5%
Specialty Trade Contractors33,77015.2%
Building Finishing Contractors28,00012.6%
Drywall and Insulation Contractors26,77012.0%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall workforce.

Employment Over Time

38,610 Workforce in 2023

The Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$52,962 Average Wage

In 2023, Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall earned an average of $52,962.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Salary distribution for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Employment Growth Projections

-2.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

6,239 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -12.9%

5,437 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -24.1%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Wage Trends by Industry

0.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • TX: 5,830 employees, $47,920 avg wage
  • CA: 2,190 employees, $51,450 avg wage
  • FL: 1,910 employees, $48,510 avg wage
  • NY: 1,890 employees, $78,790 avg wage
  • TN: 1,460 employees, $46,120 avg wage
  • OH: 1,290 employees, $58,320 avg wage
  • NC: 1,280 employees, $45,860 avg wage
  • LA: 1,150 employees, $53,690 avg wage
  • MN: 1,120 employees, $61,210 avg wage
  • WA: 1,070 employees, $54,970 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 2,130 employees, $47,220 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 1,950 employees, $79,080 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 1,820 employees, $49,480 avg wage
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 880 employees, $62,380 avg wage
  • Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 830 employees, $61,440 avg wage
  • Baton Rouge, LA: 730 employees, $56,540 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 670 employees, $57,090 avg wage
  • Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: 640 employees, $48,340 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 620 employees, $48,060 avg wage
  • Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 590 employees, $51,650 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Diversity

Demographic information on Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall in 2023 was 38,610 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall workers.

Education level distribution for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Skills

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Monitoring.

Required skills for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall include Building and Construction, Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, English Language, Administration and Management.

Knowledge areas required for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall include Extent Flexibility, Multilimb Coordination, Manual Dexterity, Trunk Strength, Gross Body Equilibrium.

Required abilities for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

Daily Activities

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Most important work activities for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.

About

Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

The average yearly wage for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall was $52,962 in 2023.

SOC Code

47-2131 - Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall reports an average salary of $52,962.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 38,610 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.7%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.