Construction & Extraction
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
Also called: Attic Blower, Insulation Estimator, Insulation Installer, Insulation Mechanic
US median pay
$49,120
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.4%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
3,000
45,100 employed
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.
What they do day to day
- 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.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operation and Control3.0/5
- Operations Monitoring2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Time Management2.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
- Quality Control Analysis2.6/5
- Persuasion2.6/5
Knowledge
- Building and Construction3.4/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.0/5
- Mechanical3.0/5
- English Language2.9/5
- Administration and Management2.8/5
- Transportation2.6/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): No formal educational credential.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma68%
- Less than high school29%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.