The median annual wage of insulation workers was $35,110 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,390, and the top 10 percent earned more than $67,360.
The median annual wage of floor, ceiling, and wall insulation workers was $31,830 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,360, and the top 10 percent earned more than $60,990.
The median annual wage of mechanical insulation workers was $37,650 in May 2010. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,030, and the top 10 percent earned more than $70,470.
The starting pay for apprentices is usually between 30 percent and 50 percent of what fully trained insulators make. They get pay increases as they gain more skills.
Mechanical insulation workers are more likely to be union members. The International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers is the largest organizer of mechanical insulation workers.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition