Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
- O*NET-SOC code
47-2132.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$58,340
Employment, U.S.25,660
Median hourly wage$28.05
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $42,470 | $48,100 | $58,340 | $77,360 | $100,220 |
By state (44)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,930 | ||
| Alaska | 40 | $84,410 | 0.72 |
| Arizona | $80,410 | ||
| Arkansas | 130 | $51,390 | 0.61 |
| California | 1,310 | $119,690 | 0.43 |
| Colorado | 520 | $49,050 | 1.09 |
| Delaware | 340 | $44,850 | 4.31 |
| Florida | 480 | $49,660 | 0.29 |
| Georgia | 660 | $52,600 | 0.81 |
| Hawaii | $87,570 | ||
| Illinois | 1,100 | $100,400 | 1.10 |
| Indiana | 1,320 | $72,220 | 2.50 |
| Iowa | 140 | $54,440 | 0.55 |
| Kansas | 130 | $49,050 | 0.54 |
| Kentucky | $46,150 | ||
| Louisiana | 620 | $48,280 | 1.95 |
| Maine | 400 | $63,580 | 3.75 |
| Maryland | 450 | $70,030 | 0.98 |
| Massachusetts | 560 | $64,710 | 0.94 |
| Michigan | 650 | $58,860 | 0.90 |
| Minnesota | 250 | $105,670 | 0.51 |
| Mississippi | 120 | $50,180 | 0.65 |
| Missouri | 830 | $78,660 | 1.70 |
| Nebraska | 130 | $75,940 | 0.76 |
| Nevada | 250 | $114,130 | 0.97 |
| New Jersey | 330 | $107,610 | 0.47 |
| New Mexico | $53,120 | ||
| New York | 1,490 | $59,120 | 0.93 |
| North Carolina | 1,090 | $48,430 | 1.33 |
| North Dakota | 400 | $58,140 | 5.65 |
| Ohio | 990 | $67,600 | 1.08 |
| Oklahoma | 250 | $61,840 | 0.90 |
| Oregon | 170 | $119,480 | 0.53 |
| Pennsylvania | 590 | $80,770 | 0.59 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $77,150 | 0.69 |
| South Carolina | 630 | $50,440 | 1.65 |
| Tennessee | 670 | $46,380 | 1.23 |
| Texas | 4,190 | $48,930 | 1.80 |
| Utah | 380 | $55,990 | 1.31 |
| Virginia | 1,350 | $57,010 | 1.99 |
| Washington | 500 | $92,120 | 0.85 |
| West Virginia | 90 | $74,200 | 0.81 |
| Wisconsin | 600 | $85,120 | 1.24 |
| Wyoming | 540 | $48,190 | 11.72 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paperhangers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
| 2 | Helpers--Electricians | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 3 | Helpers--Roofers | 1-2 | 0.948 |
| 4 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | 1-2 | 0.947 |
| 5 | Fence Erectors | 1-2 | 0.945 |
| 6 | Weatherization Installers and Technicians | 1-2 | 0.945 |
| 7 | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 1-2 | 0.944 |
| 8 | Riggers | 1-2 | 0.943 |
| 9 | Floor Sanders and Finishers | 1-2 | 0.939 |
| 10 | Carpet Installers | 1-2 | 0.937 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Insulation Workers, Mechanical, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riggers | Operation and Control | 1.13 | 0.943 |
| Carpet Installers | Mathematics | 1.38 | 0.937 |
| Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.928 |
| Structural Iron and Steel Workers | Operation and Control | 1.00 | 0.924 |
| Plasterers and Stucco Masons | Quality Control Analysis | 0.88 | 0.922 |
| Stonemasons | Mathematics | 1.00 | 0.921 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | Mathematics | 1.12 | 0.915 |
| Roofers | Coordination | 0.88 | 0.914 |
| Tile and Stone Setters | Mathematics | 1.12 | 0.906 |
| Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders | Operation and Control | 0.76 | 0.906 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Insulation Workers, Mechanical, excluding software Insulation Workers, Mechanical already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Flooring Technologies QFloors | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Pacific Solutions FloorRight | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Wilhelm Publishing Threshold | 3 of 20 | 46.2x |
| Construction Software Center EasyEst | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| Job costing software | 3 of 20 | 27.7x |
| On Center Quick Bid | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Intuit QuickBooks | 3 of 20 | 1.6x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 5 of 20 | 1.3x |
| Database software | 4 of 20 | 1.1x |
| Microsoft Windows | 4 of 20 | 0.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.50 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Building and Construction | 4.32 | 4.90 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.09 | 4.74 |
| Mechanical | 4.07 | 4.50 |
| Administration and Management | 4.02 | 4.21 |
| Education and Training | 3.87 | 4.44 |
| Mathematics | 3.83 | 4.15 |
| Production and Processing | 3.66 | 4.11 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.66 | 3.69 |
| English Language | 3.62 | 3.37 |
| Design | 3.55 | 3.96 |
| Sales and Marketing | 3.34 | 3.35 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 3.32 | 3.63 |
| Transportation | 3.08 | 2.82 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.86 | 2.76 |
| Psychology | 2.78 | 2.64 |
| Administrative | 2.70 | 3.19 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.57 | 2.65 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.41 | 2.41 |
| Law and Government | 2.24 | 1.77 |
| Physics | 2.17 | 2.27 |
| Chemistry | 2.03 | 1.99 |
| Communications and Media | 2.00 | 1.74 |
| Telecommunications | 1.95 | 1.20 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.83 | 1.67 |
| Foreign Language | 1.81 | 0.95 |
| Geography | 1.79 | 1.44 |
| Food Production | 1.75 | 1.11 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.74 | 1.34 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.58 | 1.02 |
| History and Archeology | 1.45 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.43 | 0.88 |
| Fine Arts | 1.29 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.28 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Trunk Strength | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.25 | 2.88 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Near Vision | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Oral Expression | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Speech Recognition | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Control Precision | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Far Vision | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Stamina | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Written Comprehension | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Depth Perception | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Time Sharing | 2.50 | 2.25 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Written Expression | 2.38 | 2.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Rate Control | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Reaction Time | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Response Orientation | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Sound Localization | 1.88 | 1.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 1.75 | 1.38 |
| Memorization | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.75 | 1.00 |
| Night Vision | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 0.88 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.62 | 0.75 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- CMSN FieldPAK
- Comput-Ability Mechanical Insulation Key Estimator
- IBM Maximo Asset Management
- North American Insulation Manufacturers Association NAIMA 3E Plus
- Turtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casper, WY | 140 | 20.97 | $46,190 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | 180 | 11.89 | $78,350 |
| Longview, TX | 210 | 10.58 | $47,980 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 190 | 7.87 | $57,600 |
| Odessa, TX | 100 | 7.55 | $52,760 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 180 | 6.88 | $47,680 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | 300 | 6.34 | $63,580 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 680 | 5.43 | Not available |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 110 | 4.26 | $47,770 |
| Richmond, VA | 410 | 3.75 | $49,460 |