Insulation recruiters serving Winston-Salem.
BLS counts 14 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 Winston-Salem.
BLS counts about 210 construction and building inspectors in the Winston-Salem metro. Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Insulation hub.
Mechanical Insulator (Pipe/Duct/Boiler)
Winston-Salem: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Building Envelope Insulation Installer
Winston-Salem: $37,440 median, 69th-highest of 69 metros
Spray Foam Technician
Fireproofing / Firestop Technician
Insulation Foreman / Crew Lead
Winston-Salem: 1,500 employed · $74,360 median, 93rd-highest of 112 metros
Insulation Estimator
Winston-Salem: 540 employed · $71,220 median, 99th-highest of 111 metros
Insulation Project Manager
Winston-Salem: 710 employed · $103,750 median, 79th-highest of 111 metros
Abatement-Certified Insulator
Winston-Salem: BLS does not publish a local figure for this occupation.
Blower / Loose-Fill Insulation Technician
Insulation Inspector / QC Technician
Winston-Salem: 210 employed · $58,490 median, 105th-highest of 112 metros
What Insulation roles earn in Winston-Salem.
BLS publishes no Winston-Salem pay for insulation workers, mechanical; nationally the median is $58,340. Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall in Winston-Salem earn a median $37,440, 24% under the $49,120 national figure, and 69th of 69 metros. Pay runs $29,120 at the tenth percentile to $46,410 at the ninetieth. The best-paid role below is construction and building inspectors, at $58,490 against $74,690 nationally. BLS withholds Winston-Salem pay for 2 occupations in the table.
| Role | Winston-Salem 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) | $37,440 | $29,120–$46,410 | $49,120 | −24% | – |
| Insulation Foreman / Crew LeadFirst-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers (47-1011) | $74,360 | $49,940–$104,740 | $79,920 | −7% | 1,500 |
| Insulation EstimatorCost Estimators (13-1051) | $71,220 | $36,300–$106,740 | $78,740 | −10% | 540 |
| Insulation Project ManagerConstruction Managers (11-9021) | $103,750 | $65,330–$181,260 | $114,990 | −10% | 710 |
| Abatement-Certified InsulatorHazardous Materials Removal Workers (47-4041) | – | – | $49,450 | – | – |
| Insulation Inspector / QC TechnicianConstruction and Building Inspectors (47-4011) | $58,490 | $49,280–$89,920 | $74,690 | −22% | 210 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Winston-Salem 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 Winston-Salem's insulation market has changed since 2018.
The number of nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Winston-Salem rose from 13 in 2018 to 14 in 2023, up 8%, ahead of the 3% national decline. Headcount at those firms went down 16%, to about 162 people, so more firms are sharing fewer workers. Average annual pay there went from $46,890 to $56,594 (+21%), in step with the 21% national increase.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: business locations | 13 | 14 | +8% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: employment | 192 | 162 | −16% |
| Nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors: average annual pay | $46,890 | $56,594 | +21% |
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 Winston-Salem's insulation market compares
Among the 63 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Winston-Salem ranks 63rd for median pay for insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 760 | $44,520 | 1.96 | 54 |
| Raleigh | 480 | $46,030 | 2.24 | 25 |
| Greensboro | 120 | $46,500 | 1.12 | 10 |
| Winston-Salem | – | $37,440 | – | 14 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | – | – | – | 4 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:Local insulation employers in Winston-Salem 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, Winston-Salem metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Insulation licensing in North Carolina.
North Carolina requires a general contractor license for construction projects costing $40,000 or more. The same state rules apply in Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Durham-Chapel Hill, so candidates licensed there can work in Winston-Salem without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Confirm current rules with the agency.
Nearby markets competing for Winston-Salem talent.
The closest metro we cover is Greensboro, about 25 miles away, with roughly 140 insulation workers, mechanical. BLS does not publish Winston-Salem figures for this occupation, so the nearby markets are the best guide: Charlotte has the largest pool within reach, about 430, and Greenville pays the most, a $51,080 median.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | – | – | – |
| Greensboro | 25 mi | 140 | $47,960 |
| Charlotte | 69 mi | 430 | $49,570 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | 75 mi | 70 | $49,450 |
| Raleigh | 93 mi | – | – |
| Greenville | 149 mi | 150 | $51,080 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Winston-Salem crews.
Not insulation work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Winston-Salem in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Downtown amphitheater~$25MGroundbreaking July 2026
A permanent, 5,000-capacity venue - grown from an initial ~$10M modular concept - anchoring downtown's entertainment district.
- Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Freischlag Tower~$426M campus expansion (the $619.1M bond issuance also covered refinancing of other system debt, not solely this tower)Opened July 2025
A new care tower on the main Ardmore campus - one of the largest healthcare capital projects in the region's history.
- Innovation Quarter Phase IIUndisclosed (28 acres, 2.5M+ sq ft planned)Multi-year buildout
Eight new buildings between downtown Winston-Salem and U.S. 52, combining retail, scientific/biotech, healthcare, and residential space.
Showing 3 of 4 projects tracked in this metro. The Winston-Salem market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for insulation, and what kills offers in Winston-Salem.
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 Winston-Salem.
Which insulation roles pay the most in Winston-Salem?
Of the roles we recruit for, Insulation Project Manager pays the most in Winston-Salem, a $103,750 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Insulation Inspector / QC Technician at $58,490, 44% below it. Building Envelope Insulation Installer is the lowest-paid field role at $37,440. Building Envelope Insulation Installer trails national pay the most (24% below).
How many nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors operate in Winston-Salem?
BLS counted 14 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Winston-Salem in 2023, employing about 162 people between them. Up from 13 in 2018, an 8% increase against 3% decline nationally. That averages 12 people per location. They pay an average of $56,594, 27% below the $77,107 national average for the same kind of employer.
Which nearby metros compete with Winston-Salem for insulation workers, mechanical?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Greensboro (25 miles, about 140, $47,960 median), Charlotte (69 miles, about 430, $49,570 median) and Durham-Chapel Hill (75 miles, about 70, $49,450 median).
Every hire from zero is a tax on your team.
14 nonresidential drywall and insulation contractors in Winston-Salem are hiring from the same local pool. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →