Insulation recruiters serving Tucson.
BLS counts 18 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 Tucson.
BLS counts about 320 construction and building inspectors in the Tucson metro. Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Tucson: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Tucson: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Tucson: 1,900 employed · $71,480 median, 101st-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Tucson: 630 employed · $73,590 median, 84th-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Tucson: 820 employed · $98,740 median, 103rd-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Tucson: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Tucson: 320 employed · $63,110 median, 82nd-highest of 112 metros
Hiring the same trade in another market? We recruit it in Charlotte, NC too.
What Insulation roles earn in Tucson.
BLS publishes no Tucson pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers in Tucson earn a median $71,480, 11% under the $79,920 national figure, and 101st of 112 metros. Pay runs $49,990 at the tenth percentile to $98,080 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $63,110 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Tucson pay for 3 occupations in the table.
| Role | Tucson 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) | $71,480 | $49,990–$98,080 | $79,920 | −11% | 1,900 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $73,590 | $46,610–$122,640 | $78,740 | −7% | 630 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $98,740 | $70,300–$160,120 | $114,990 | −14% | 820 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | – | – | $49,450 | – | – |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $63,110 | $51,780–$100,980 | $74,690 | −16% | 320 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tucson 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 Tucson's insulation market has changed since 2018.
Tucson lost nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors between 2018 and 2023, from 19 business locations to 18 (down 5%), close to the 3% national change. Headcount at those firms went down 28%, to about 495 people. Average annual pay there went from $37,184 to $52,715 (+42%), 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 | 18 | −5% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 687 | 495 | −28% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $37,184 | $52,715 | +42% |
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 Tucson's insulation market compares
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 550 | $42,320 | 0.81 | 105 |
| Tucson | – | – | – | 18 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local insulation employers in Tucson 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, Tucson metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in Arizona.
Arizona requires contractors and subcontractors to be licensed, with commercial classifications including C-31 Masonry, C-9 Concrete and C-40 Insulation. A handyman exemption covers only jobs under $1,000 that need no building permit. The same state rules apply in Phoenix, so candidates licensed there can work in Tucson without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
What else is competing for Tucson crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Tucson in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Tucson Electric Power solar farm$150M, 100MWConstruction 18-24 months, full operations expected late 2026
A utility-scale solar facility sized to power roughly 25,000 homes, including grid-interconnection upgrades. Hundreds of construction jobs during the build phase, concentrated in electrical and heavy-civil trades.
This is the only project we track in Tucson. The Tucson market page covers hiring conditions across every trade here.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Tucson.
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 Tucson.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Tucson?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Tucson, a $98,740 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $63,110, 36% below it. Insulation Inspector / QC Technician trails national pay the most (16% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Tucson?
BLS counted 18 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Tucson in 2023, employing about 495 people between them. Down from 19 in 2018, a 5% decline against 3% decline nationally. That averages 28 people per location. They pay an average of $52,715, 32% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Tucson for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Phoenix (108 miles, $80,410 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
18 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Tucson are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
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