Career Explorer Construction and trades
Human edge, growing
Insulation workers, mechanical
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 61% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +5.1% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $58,340
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.1%
- Openings a year
- 1,800
- People doing it (2025)
- 26,700
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then an apprenticeship
Where people already use AI for this work
- Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
- Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment
- Read documents or materials to inform work processes
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Build structures
- Cut materials
- Apply protective solutions or coatings
What the work looks like
- Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors.
- Apply, remove, and repair insulation on industrial equipment, pipes, ductwork, or other mechanical systems such as heat exchangers, tanks, and vessels, to help control noise and maintain temperatures.
- Select appropriate insulation, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam, or cork, based on the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material.
- Fit insulation around obstructions, and shape insulating materials and protective coverings as required.
- Determine the amounts and types of insulation needed, and methods of installation, based on factors such as location, surface shape, and equipment use.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Structural iron and steel workersHuman edge, steady, Index 75, +3.1%
- Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wallHuman edge, steady, Index 62, +2.4%
- Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfittersHuman edge, steady, Index 85, +2.4%
- Helpers--painters, paperhangers, plasterers, and stucco masonsHuman edge, steady, Index 77, +1.5%
Also known as: Industrial Insulator, Insulation Mechanic, Insulator, Mechanical Insulator, Commercial Insulator, Heat and Frost Insulator, Insulation Installer, Insulation Worker.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.