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Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2132
4.4% AI Exposure — Medium
$58,340
Median Annual Salary
Bright ↗
O*NET Outlook
3,300
Proj. Annual Openings
25,660
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-0.6%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
96/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 47-2132 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 4.4%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 59/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $58,340
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 3,300
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 4,762 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingMonitoringCoordinationTime Management
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure4.4%
AI Resiliency96/100
Exposure BandMedium
Sector Avg. Exposure1.2%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
14.1%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic4.4%
AI capability · OpenAI4.5%
AI ability · AIOE33.4%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne64%
Top Skills
1.Active Listening
2.Critical Thinking
3.Monitoring
4.Coordination
5.Time Management
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
Common titles: Commercial Insulator, Heat and Frost Insulator, Industrial Insulator, Insulation Installer, Insulation Mechanic, Insulation Worker
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Cut carpet, vinyl or other flexible materials.
- •Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.
- •Install insulation in equipment or structures.
- •Select construction materials.
- •Apply sealants or other protective coatings.
Tools & Technologies
CMSN FieldPAKComput-Ability Mechanical Insulation Key EstimatorIBM Maximo Asset ManagementNorth American Insulation Manufacturers Association NAIMA 3E PlusTurtle Creek Software Goldenseal
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
1.2%
Avg AI Exposure
12
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 47-2132: 2019 — employment: 26,670, median wage: $48,690; 2020 — employment: 27,700, median wage: $50,030; 2021 — employment: 28,010, median wage: $48,260; 2022 — employment: 25,660, median wage: $50,590; 2023 — employment: 22,850, median wage: $53,920; 2025 — employment: 25,660, median wage: $58,340.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.4% | 1.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 70% Bright |
| Median Salary | $58,340 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |