Insulation recruiters serving Fresno.
BLS counts 21 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 Fresno.
BLS counts about 490 people working in the occupations behind these roles across the Fresno metro, the largest group being construction and building inspectors (about 280). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Fresno: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Fresno: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Fresno: 1,820 employed · $83,660 median, 29th-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Fresno: 750 employed · $84,140 median, 14th-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Fresno: 910 employed · $118,500 median, 42nd-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Fresno: 210 employed · $54,570 median, 18th-highest of 90 metros
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Fresno: 280 employed · $80,850 median, 20th-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Fresno.
BLS publishes no Fresno pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Fresno earn a median $83,660, 5% over the $79,920 national figure, and 29th of 112 metros. Pay runs $60,890 at the tenth percentile to $136,870 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $80,850 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Fresno pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Fresno 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) | $83,660 | $60,890–$136,870 | $79,920 | +5% | 1,820 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $84,140 | $51,170–$149,690 | $78,740 | +7% | 750 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $118,500 | $75,030–$176,020 | $114,990 | +3% | 910 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | $54,570 | $38,590–$80,620 | $49,450 | +10% | 210 |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $80,850 | $52,630–$143,280 | $74,690 | +8% | 280 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Fresno 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 Fresno's insulation market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Fresno rose from 19 in 2018 to 21 in 2023, up 11%, ahead of the 3% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 13%, to about 621 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $56,813 to $83,590 (+47%), 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 | 19 | 21 | +11% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 712 | 621 | −13% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $56,813 | $83,590 | +47% |
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 Fresno's insulation market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | 830 | $48,470 | 0.46 | 165 |
| Riverside | 480 | $46,850 | 0.98 | 80 |
| San Francisco | 370 | $76,170 | 0.55 | 59 |
| San Jose | 190 | $58,890 | 0.57 | 33 |
| Sacramento | 170 | $48,310 | 0.56 | 37 |
| San Diego | – | – | – | 72 |
| Fresno | – | – | – | 21 |
| Bakersfield | – | – | – | 11 |
| Stockton | – | – | – | 10 |
| Modesto | – | – | – | 8 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local insulation employers in Fresno have been cutting headcount, so the people you want are more likely to be weighing a move than actively looking.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Fresno metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in California.
California licenses specialty contractors by classification, including C-2 Insulation and Acoustical, C-8 Concrete and C-29 Masonry. The same state rules apply in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento, San Jose, Bakersfield, Stockton and Modesto, so candidates licensed there can work in Fresno without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Fresno talent.
The closest metro we cover is Modesto, about 90 miles away. BLS does not publish Fresno figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Sacramento has the largest pool within reach, about 90, at a $93,960 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno | – | – | – |
| Modesto | 91 mi | – | – |
| Bakersfield | 104 mi | – | $58,100 |
| Stockton | 118 mi | – | – |
| San Jose | 124 mi | – | – |
| Sacramento | 158 mi | 90 | $93,960 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Fresno crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Fresno in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Fresno Station Early Works (California High-Speed Rail)~$50MBids due March 2026
Retrofitting and restoring the historic Fresno Depot, utility relocations, demolition, ADA improvements, park/plaza development, and multimodal parking with EV charging - the first visible construction phase of Fresno's future HSR station.
- Cesar Chavez Boulevard underpass grade separationPart of the statewide HSR programCompleted March 2026
Located less than a mile from the future Fresno Station site - heavy civil work clearing the way for the station's eventual construction.
- California High-Speed Rail (statewide program)~$231B (Sept 2026 estimate, up from an original ~$33B)Multi-year, ongoing
The broader Los Angeles-to-San Francisco rail program that the Fresno Station is part of. Even though most of the statewide spend sits outside Fresno itself, the program is a sustained source of heavy-civil and station-construction work locally.
These are the 3 projects we track in Fresno. The Fresno market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Fresno.
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 Fresno.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Fresno?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Fresno, a $118,500 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $80,850, 32% below it. Abatement-Certified Insulator is the lowest-paid field role at $54,570. Relative to national pay, Abatement-Certified Insulator is the strongest-paying role here (10% above).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Fresno?
BLS counted 21 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Fresno in 2023, employing about 621 people between them. Up from 19 in 2018, an 11% increase against 3% decline nationally. That averages 30 people per location. They pay an average of $83,590, 8% above the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Fresno for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Bakersfield (104 miles, $58,100 median), Sacramento (158 miles, about 90, $93,960 median) and San Francisco (162 miles, about 210, $136,460 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
21 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Fresno are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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