Insulation recruiters serving Akron.
Insulation workers, mechanical are scarcer in Akron than in most of the country, 42% fewer per job, so the roughly 30 who work here are rarely short of offers. BLS counts 9 business locations of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Akron.
BLS counts about 200 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Akron metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 170). Relative to the size of the local economy, insulation workers, mechanical are far less concentrated here than nationally (location quotient 0.58). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Akron: 30 employed · $63,660 median, 28th-highest of 58 metros
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Akron: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Akron: 1,390 employed · $80,660 median, 43rd-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Akron: 530 employed · $77,490 median, 63rd-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Akron: 920 employed · $102,630 median, 86th-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Akron: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Akron: 170 employed · $67,410 median, 62nd-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Akron.
Insulation workers, mechanical in Akron earn a median $63,660, 9% over the $58,340 national figure, and 28th of 58 metros. Pay runs $47,990 at the tenth percentile to $79,860 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $67,410 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Akron pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Akron median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)Insulation Workers, Mechanical (47-2132) | $63,660 | $47,990–$79,860 | $58,340 | +9% | 30 |
| Building Envelope Insulation Installer · Spray Foam Technician · Fireproofing / Firestop TechnicianInsulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (47-2131) | – | – | $49,120 | – | – |
| Insulation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $80,660 | $58,520–$106,170 | $79,920 | +1% | 1,390 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $77,490 | $50,030–$122,300 | $78,740 | −2% | 530 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,630 | $62,920–$161,140 | $114,990 | −11% | 920 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | – | – | $49,450 | – | – |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $67,410 | $49,030–$94,340 | $74,690 | −10% | 170 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Akron metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Akron's insulation market has changed since 2018.
Akron lost nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 10 business locations to 9 (down 10%), behind the 3% national decline. With so few firms, one opening or closing moves that percentage a long way. Headcount at those firms went down 22%, to about 43 people. Average annual pay there went from $56,779 to $62,376 (+10%), slower than the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: business locations | 10 | 9 | −10% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 55 | 43 | −22% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $56,779 | $62,376 | +10% |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Insulation hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Insulation · 2026 Insulation Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Insulation
How Akron's insulation market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus | 380 | $80,000 | 1.19 | 34 |
| Cleveland | 150 | $47,340 | 0.52 | 37 |
| Cincinnati | 90 | $58,360 | 0.27 | 32 |
| Dayton | – | – | – | 13 |
| Akron | – | – | – | 9 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Akron metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in Ohio.
Ohio's state board licenses commercial contractors in only five trades: electrical, HVAC, plumbing, hydronics and refrigeration. Masonry, concrete and insulation are not among the state-licensed trades. The same state rules apply in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Dayton, so candidates licensed there can work in Akron without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Akron talent.
The closest metro we cover is Cleveland, about 30 miles away, with roughly 150 insulation workers, mechanical (5.0 times Akron's 30). Pittsburgh pays the most nearby, an $80,050 median, 26% above Akron. That is the number any Akron offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move. Columbus has the deepest pool within reach, so a search for senior roles here usually extends there.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | – | 30 | $63,660 |
| Cleveland | 30 mi | 150 | $69,690 |
| Pittsburgh | 91 mi | 60 | $80,050 |
| Columbus | 110 mi | 230 | $76,590 |
| Detroit | 117 mi | – | – |
| Dayton | 168 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Akron crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Akron in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- East End & Goodyear HQ redevelopmentUndisclosed (400-acre site)Phase II ongoing
A 642,000 sq ft consolidated Goodyear world headquarters already built, with Phase II reimagining the original 1.4 million sq ft Goodyear Headquarters and Goodyear Hall as a mixed-use "live, work, play" district.
- NEO-SMART advanced manufacturing initiative$160M (NSF grant)10-year initiative
Aims to create or retain 20,000 jobs regionally and train 12,000 workers in new materials and manufacturing.
- Akron 2026 Capital Budget$341.9M2026 fiscal year
Water/sewer infrastructure (including the Northside Interceptor Tunnel and $23.5M Brittain Road Reservoir replacement), $53M+ in transportation projects, and a multi-year Stubbs Justice Center renovation.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Akron market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Akron.
The 4 credentials that gate the work and the 3 things that most often end an insulation offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Insulation credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Insulation hiring in Akron.
What do insulation workers, mechanical earn in Akron?
BLS puts the Akron median for insulation workers, mechanical at $63,660 a year, 9% above the $58,340 national median. That ranks 28th of 58 metros with published figures, in the middle of the pack. Most of the market sits between $47,990 and $79,860, a 1.7x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Ohio, Columbus pays more, at $76,590.
Is it hard to hire insulation workers, mechanical in Akron?
Yes. Akron has 42% fewer insulation workers, mechanical per job than the country as a whole, roughly 30 in the metro, so most of the people worth hiring are already employed. The 9 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors here average about 4.8 employees per location, mostly small shops, so candidates often know every employer in town by name. There are 10% fewer of those firms than in 2018, so experienced people have fewer local employers to move between.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Akron?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Akron, a $102,630 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $67,410, 34% below it. Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler) is the lowest-paid field role at $63,660. Relative to national pay, Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler) is the strongest-paying role here (9% above). Insulation Project Manager trails national pay the most (11% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Akron?
BLS counted 9 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Akron in 2023, employing about 43 people between them. Down from 10 in 2018, a 10% decline against 3% decline nationally. That averages 4.8 people per location, so most are small shops. They pay an average of $62,376, 19% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Akron for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Cleveland (30 miles, about 150, $69,690 median), Pittsburgh (91 miles, about 60, $80,050 median) and Columbus (110 miles, about 230, $76,590 median). Cleveland has the larger pool, so it is the first place to look for senior people willing to move. Cleveland pays 9% more, which is where Akron employers tend to lose people.
Thin market. Short list anyway.
With insulation workers, mechanical this scarce in Akron, an open seat rarely fills from a job posting. Let's line up the people before the next one opens.
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