Insulation recruiters serving Birmingham.
BLS counts 47 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 Birmingham.
BLS counts about 500 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Birmingham metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 390). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Birmingham: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Birmingham: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Birmingham: 3,720 employed · $71,280 median, 102nd-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Birmingham: 810 employed · $79,330 median, 41st-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Birmingham: 2,460 employed · $102,170 median, 89th-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Birmingham: 110 employed · $38,610 median, 86th-highest of 90 metros
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Birmingham: 390 employed · $64,400 median, 73rd-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Birmingham.
BLS publishes no Birmingham pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Birmingham earn a median $71,280, 11% under the $79,920 national figure, and 102nd of 112 metros. Pay runs $48,070 at the tenth percentile to $123,700 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $64,400 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Birmingham pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Birmingham 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) | $71,280 | $48,070–$123,700 | $79,920 | −11% | 3,720 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $79,330 | $48,290–$129,330 | $78,740 | +1% | 810 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $102,170 | $63,340–$162,950 | $114,990 | −11% | 2,460 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | $38,610 | $32,000–$59,930 | $49,450 | −22% | 110 |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $64,400 | $48,950–$95,070 | $74,690 | −14% | 390 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Birmingham 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 Birmingham's insulation market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Birmingham rose from 44 in 2018 to 47 in 2023, up 7%, ahead of the 3% national decline. Headcount at those firms went up 18%, to about 783 people. Average annual pay there went from $46,401 to $71,217 (+53%), 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 | 44 | 47 | +7% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 661 | 783 | +18% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $46,401 | $71,217 | +53% |
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 Birmingham's insulation market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | 60 | $56,780 | 0.84 | 17 |
| Birmingham | – | – | – | 47 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local insulation employers in Birmingham are adding headcount, which means more employers competing for the same people.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Birmingham metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in Alabama.
Alabama requires a state general contractor license for construction projects, including commercial work, costing $100,000 or more in labor and materials. Subcontractors whose own contracts meet that amount must also be licensed. The same state rules apply in Huntsville, so candidates licensed there can work in Birmingham without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Birmingham talent.
The closest metro we cover is Huntsville, about 85 miles away. BLS does not publish Birmingham figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Atlanta has the largest pool within reach, about 410, at a $51,350 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | – | – | – |
| Huntsville | 84 mi | – | – |
| Chattanooga | 135 mi | – | – |
| Atlanta | 140 mi | 410 | $51,350 |
| Nashville | 183 mi | 250 | $49,800 |
| Pensacola | 216 mi | – | – |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Birmingham crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Birmingham in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- UAB Biomedical Research and Psychology Building$190MBroke ground June 2024, completing summer 2026
An 8-story, 228,735 sq ft research facility housing wet and dry labs for the Heersink School of Medicine and the Department of Psychology. Lab-grade mechanical, electrical, and process-utility construction at a scale most Birmingham contractors rarely see.
- UAB Hospital North Pavilion / emergency department overhaul$73M ($38M North Pavilion permit)Multi-year, phased
Adds 59 new exam rooms and 66,030 sq ft of new construction to boost emergency-care capacity. Hospital-grade mechanical, medical gas plumbing, and ICRA-compliant construction.
These are the 2 projects we track in Birmingham. The Birmingham market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Birmingham.
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 Birmingham.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Birmingham?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Birmingham, a $102,170 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $64,400, 37% below it. Abatement-Certified Insulator is the lowest-paid field role at $38,610. Abatement-Certified Insulator trails national pay the most (22% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Birmingham?
BLS counted 47 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Birmingham in 2023, employing about 783 people between them. Up from 44 in 2018, a 7% increase against 3% decline nationally. That averages 17 people per location. They pay an average of $71,217, 8% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Birmingham for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Atlanta (140 miles, about 410, $51,350 median), Nashville (183 miles, about 250, $49,800 median) and Memphis (217 miles, about 120, $45,900 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
47 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Birmingham are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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