Insulation recruiters serving Austin.
BLS counts 65 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 Austin.
BLS counts about 1,720 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Austin metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 1,430). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Austin: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Austin: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Austin: 8,010 employed · $77,800 median, 61st-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Austin: 1,990 employed · $78,650 median, 51st-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Austin: 6,040 employed · $102,980 median, 85th-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Austin: 290 employed · $44,880 median, 73rd-highest of 90 metros
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Austin: 1,430 employed · $77,730 median, 30th-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Austin.
BLS publishes no Austin pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Austin earn a median $77,800, level with the $79,920 national figure, and 61st of 112 metros. Pay runs $50,960 at the tenth percentile to $105,030 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $77,730 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Austin pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Austin median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)Insulation Workers, Mechanical (47-2132) | – | – | $58,340 | – | – |
| 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) | $77,800 | $50,960–$105,030 | $79,920 | −3% | 8,010 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,650 | $48,670–$134,230 | $78,740 | 0% | 1,990 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,980 | $69,740–$169,110 | $114,990 | −10% | 6,040 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | $44,880 | $40,060–$59,650 | $49,450 | −9% | 290 |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $77,730 | $47,700–$108,070 | $74,690 | +4% | 1,430 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Austin 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 Austin's insulation market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Austin rose from 59 in 2018 to 65 in 2023, up 10%, ahead of the 3% national decline. Headcount at those firms went up 11%, to about 2,133 people. Average annual pay there went from $48,193 to $63,191 (+31%), faster than the 21% national increase, a sign employers here have had to bid up.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: business locations | 59 | 65 | +10% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 1,921 | 2,133 | +11% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $48,193 | $63,191 | +31% |
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 Austin's insulation market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | 2,430 | $48,140 | 2.58 | 132 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 2,100 | $49,930 | 1.82 | 147 |
| San Antonio | 370 | $47,070 | 1.14 | 32 |
| Austin | – | – | – | 65 |
| McAllen | – | – | – | 9 |
| El Paso | – | – | – | 17 |
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, Austin metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in Texas.
Texas issues no state general contractor or insulation contractor license. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation licenses only a narrow set of construction trades, chiefly air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, electricians and water well drillers, and insulation is not among them. Where the work touches asbestos, DSHS licensing is mandatory and is the real personnel credential to check: DSHS issues individual Asbestos Abatement Worker and Supervisor licenses plus a company-level Asbestos Abatement Contractor license. When hiring, confirm the firm holds a current DSHS asbestos contractor license and that named crew leads hold current supervisor licenses. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Austin without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: No state contractor license; Texas Department of State Health Services Asbestos Program licenses asbestos work under 25 TAC Chapter 296. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a insulation search in Austin yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Austin than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Chiller Service TechnicianChillers from one ton to 5,000-ton centrifugals, for data-center clients - placed in twelve days.
Nearby markets competing for Austin talent.
The closest metro we cover is San Antonio, about 75 miles away, with roughly 260 insulation workers, mechanical. BLS does not publish Austin figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Houston has the largest pool within reach, about 1,320, and Dallas-Fort Worth pays the most, a $52,200 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | – | – | – |
| San Antonio | 74 mi | 260 | $48,920 |
| Houston | 147 mi | 1,320 | $50,050 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 182 mi | 830 | $52,200 |
| McAllen | 282 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Austin crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Austin in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Samsung Taylor semiconductor fab~$17B (expanding toward $40B+)Phase 1 ramping, expansion ongoing
The single largest force in the Austin-area labor market. Cleanroom, process-piping, high-purity mechanical, and mission-critical electrical trades pulled to premium wages across the entire region.
- Tesla Gigafactory TexasOngoing multi-phase expansionRolling through 2027
Continuous manufacturing build-out east of Austin. Industrial electricians, controls techs, and process mechanical crews in sustained demand.
- Hyperscale data center campuses (multiple operators)Billions announced 2024-2026Rolling
Central Texas is now a fast-growing data center corridor. Power-systems electricians, mechanical PMs, and controls techs in extreme demand - competing directly with the fabs for the same crews.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Austin market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Austin.
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 Austin.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Austin?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Austin, a $102,980 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $77,730, 25% below it. Abatement-Certified Insulator is the lowest-paid field role at $44,880. Relative to national pay, Insulation Inspector / QC Technician is the strongest-paying role here (4% above). Insulation Project Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Austin?
BLS counted 65 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Austin in 2023, employing about 2,133 people between them. Up from 59 in 2018, a 10% increase against 3% decline nationally. That averages 33 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $63,191, 18% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Austin for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are San Antonio (74 miles, about 260, $48,920 median), Houston (147 miles, about 1,320, $50,050 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (182 miles, about 830, $52,200 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
65 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Austin are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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