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Salary comparison

Insulation Workers, Mechanical vs. Construction Laborers: Who Earns More?

Insulation Workers, Mechanical out-earn Construction Laborers by $11K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Insulation Workers, Mechanical land at $58,340 and Construction Laborers at $47,120. The education gap is real: insulation workers, mechanical programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while construction laborer programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Insulation Workers, Mechanical is California ($119,690); for Construction Laborers it's Hawaii ($77,110).

Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Construction Laborers
Median salary
$58,340
$47,120
Hourly rate
$28.05/hr
$22.66/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$42,470
$35,090
Senior level (90th %)
$100,220
$78,090
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
25,660
1,096,780
Job growth (10-year)
4.7%
7.3%
Category
Construction & Trades
Construction & Trades
Top-paying state
California
Hawaii

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Insulation Workers, Mechanical median pay.

State
Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Construction Laborers
California
$119,690
$60,270
Oregon
$119,480
$50,860
New Jersey
$107,610
$64,060
Minnesota
$105,670
$60,260
Illinois
$100,400
$60,690
Washington
$92,120
$57,720
Hawaii
$87,570
$77,110
Wisconsin
$85,120
$56,100
Alaska
$84,410
$58,060
Missouri
$78,660
$56,730
Rhode Island
$77,150
$57,240
Indiana
$72,220
$50,070
Ohio
$67,600
$56,080
Massachusetts
$64,710
$63,390
New York
$59,120
$55,930

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Insulation Workers, Mechanical or Construction Laborers?

Insulation Workers, Mechanical earn more nationally. The median is $58,340 for Insulation Workers, Mechanical versus $47,120 for Construction Laborers, a difference of $11K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Insulation Workers, Mechanical or Construction Laborers?

Construction Laborers has the better 10-year outlook at 7.3% projected growth, compared to 4.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Insulation Workers, Mechanical or Construction Laborers?

Insulation Workers, Mechanical typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Construction Laborers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Insulation Workers, Mechanical get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Insulation Workers, Mechanical at $119,690/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Insulation Workers, Mechanical vs. Construction Laborers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Insulation Workers, Mechanical earn $119,690 vs. $60,270 for Construction Laborers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Insulation Workers, Mechanical salary breakdownView →Full Construction Laborers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Insulation Workers, Mechanical by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Construction Laborers by take-home payExplore →How to become a insulation workers, mechanicalGuide →How to become a construction laborersGuide →