Insulation recruiters serving Des Moines.
BLS counts 24 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 Des Moines.
BLS counts about 680 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Des Moines 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)
Des Moines: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Des Moines: 200 employed · $70,410 median, 5th-highest of 69 metros
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Des Moines: 2,720 employed · $82,090 median, 39th-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Des Moines: 550 employed · $78,500 median, 52nd-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Des Moines: 1,020 employed · $103,920 median, 77th-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Des Moines: 90 employed · $52,410 median, 19th-highest of 90 metros
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Des Moines: 390 employed · $73,910 median, 48th-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Des Moines.
BLS publishes no Des Moines pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall in Des Moines earn a median $70,410, 43% over the $49,120 national figure, and 5th of 69 metros. Pay runs $45,180 at the tenth percentile to $76,920 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $73,910 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Des Moines pay for one occupation in the table.
| Role | Des Moines 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) | $70,410 | $45,180–$76,920 | $49,120 | +43% | 200 |
| Insulation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $82,090 | $60,380–$103,990 | $79,920 | +3% | 2,720 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $78,500 | $48,940–$121,400 | $78,740 | 0% | 550 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,920 | $65,560–$201,450 | $114,990 | −10% | 1,020 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | $52,410 | $39,120–$61,110 | $49,450 | +6% | 90 |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $73,910 | $46,980–$91,090 | $74,690 | −1% | 390 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Des Moines 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 Des Moines's insulation market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Des Moines rose from 22 in 2018 to 24 in 2023, up 9%, ahead of the 3% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 2%, to about 1,039 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $58,400 to $72,074 (+23%), in step with the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: business locations | 22 | 24 | +9% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 1,064 | 1,039 | −2% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $58,400 | $72,074 | +23% |
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
Des Moines runs 70% more insulation workers per job than the country as a whole — well above the national concentration. More per job means more people to reach, and more employers reaching them.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall (nearest published occupation for this trade). Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Des Moines's insulation market compares
Among the 63 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Des Moines ranks 32nd for headcount, 5th for median pay and 10th for concentration for insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall. That puts it among the deepest insulation labor markets in the country.
What this means for hiring:For insulation employers in Des Moines, the pool is deep and still growing, so the constraint is competition rather than supply. Move fast on good candidates, because another local firm is probably talking to them too.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Des Moines metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in Iowa.
Iowa requires construction contractors earning at least two thousand dollars a year to register with the Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing under Iowa Code chapter 91C, but that registration is about unemployment insurance, workers compensation and bonding and involves no trade competency examination, so it is not an insulation qualification. There is no Iowa insulation contractor license. For asbestos, the department licenses individuals as worker, supervisor and contractor, inspector, management planner and project designer, and companies performing removal or encapsulation must also hold a permit for that purpose. Verify the contractor registration, then verify the asbestos licenses and project permit separately, since one does not imply the other.
Licensing authority: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, for contractor registration under Iowa Code ch. 91C and asbestos licensing under Iowa Code ch. 88B and 875 IAC ch. 155. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Des Moines talent.
The closest metro we cover is Omaha, about 125 miles away, with roughly 70 insulation workers, mechanical. BLS does not publish Des Moines figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: St. Louis has the largest pool within reach, about 560, and Minneapolis pays the most, a $109,360 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | – | – | – |
| Omaha | 123 mi | 70 | $79,060 |
| Kansas City | 180 mi | 240 | $69,730 |
| Minneapolis | 234 mi | 90 | $109,360 |
| Madison | 238 mi | 50 | $91,470 |
| St. Louis | 273 mi | 560 | $79,240 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Des Moines crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Des Moines in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Microsoft "Ruthenium" data center$210M+ (part of $6B+ total Microsoft investment in West Des Moines)Construction starting 2026
A 245,000 sq ft first-phase facility housing computer equipment and large-scale web portal services - the latest addition to Microsoft's five existing West Des Moines data center campuses.
- Microsoft Project Ginger West Data Center$1B+Multi-year buildout
A separate ~188-acre campus planned for approximately 1.8 million sq ft of data center space across multiple buildings.
- Weitz data center campusUndisclosed (192-MW capacity)Under construction
A 192-megawatt data center campus in West Des Moines being built for a confidential client.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Des Moines market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Des Moines.
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 Des Moines.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Des Moines?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Des Moines, a $103,920 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $73,910, 29% below it. Abatement-Certified Insulator is the lowest-paid field role at $52,410. Relative to national pay, Building Envelope Insulation Installer is the strongest-paying role here (43% above). Insulation Project Manager trails national pay the most (10% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Des Moines?
BLS counted 24 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Des Moines in 2023, employing about 1,039 people between them. Up from 22 in 2018, a 9% increase against 3% decline nationally. That averages 43 people per location, so a few large operators dominate hiring. They pay an average of $72,074, 7% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Des Moines for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Omaha (123 miles, about 70, $79,060 median), Kansas City (180 miles, about 240, $69,730 median) and Minneapolis (234 miles, about 90, $109,360 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
24 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Des Moines are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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