Salary guide › District of Columbia › Insulation
Insulation salary in District of Columbia (2025)
We could not find reliable data for this.
The government does not publish insulation workers pay for District of Columbia because too few employers answered its survey. Pay by job level and national figures are below. None
Nationally, typical pay for insulation workers is $23.62 an hour ($49,120 a year). That is a national figure, not a District of Columbia figure. BLS reports building insulation and mechanical insulation as two occupations. Both are shown. They are never averaged together.
Pay by job level
| Job | Hourly | Yearly | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | Not published | BLS has no apprentice category. Apprentices often start near helper pay, then step up each year toward journeyman pay. None | |
| Journeyman | Not published | BLS does not publish this trade in this state. None | |
| Foreman | $41.60 | $86,520 | BLS pay for construction supervisors across all trades. Medium |
| Superintendent | $60.78 | $126,430 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Project Manager | $60.78 | $126,430 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Estimator | $39.77 | $82,730 | BLS pay for cost estimators in all industries. Medium |
| Owner Operator | Depends on the business | There is no wage data for owners. They earn from business profit, not a wage. None | |
High exact government figure Medium closest government category Low estimate, method shown None no data
Best paying areas for insulation workers in District of Columbia
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $22.07 | $45,900 |
Insulation Workers, Mechanical
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $30.59 | $63,630 |
Typical means the median: half earn more, half earn less. Only areas where the government publishes a figure are listed.
Ready to get licensed in District of Columbia? Start your insulation exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
See exam prepUnion and prevailing wage pay for insulation workers in District of Columbia
Insulator, District of Columbia: $40.77 an hour + $20.17 benefits = $60.94 total. Medium
This is the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 24 contract rate, effective 10/01/2024, and the legal minimum on federal building jobs here. Contracts often rise before the government list catches up, so ask the local for its latest wage sheet.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor wage determination DC20260002 for District of Columbia. Other counties have their own rates, and District of Columbia may set its own for state jobs (list of state laws).
Union and prevailing figures include benefits and apply to specific jobs. The typical pay above is wages only, for everyone in the trade. They are not directly comparable.
How to earn more
- Get licensed. A license lets you bid work in your own name. See exam prep.
- Run your own company. Many states also require a business and law exam. Business exam prep.
Common questions
How much does a insulation make in District of Columbia?
We could not find reliable data for this. The government does not publish insulation workers pay for District of Columbia, usually because too few employers answered the survey. Check with the state labor agency or the local union for current rates in your area.
Do union insulation workers make more in District of Columbia?
We have no official union rate for this trade in District of Columbia. Government pay figures mix union and non union workers, so they cannot answer this alone. Ask the local union for its wage sheet and compare wages plus benefits.
What is the prevailing wage for insulation in District of Columbia?
On federal building jobs in District of Columbia, the prevailing wage for the insulator classification is $40.77 an hour + $20.17 benefits = $60.94 total (wage determination DC20260002). Other counties differ, and District of Columbia may set its own rate for state jobs.
What is the highest paying city for insulation workers in District of Columbia?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV pays the most, with typical pay of $22.07 an hour, based on government data for May 2025. Smaller areas may be missing because the government does not publish a figure for them.
Ready to get licensed in District of Columbia? Start your insulation exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
See exam prepSee the full numbers and sources
Insulation salary in District of Columbia: full pay range
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
We could not find reliable data for this. BLS does not publish Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall pay for District of Columbia. None
Insulation Workers, Mechanical
We could not find reliable data for this. BLS does not publish Insulation Workers, Mechanical pay for District of Columbia. None
What affects insulation pay in District of Columbia
- Overtime. BLS figures are straight time pay. Overtime, shift pay and bonuses are not included, so total earnings can be higher.
- Union status and public work. Union contracts and prevailing wage jobs set their own rates. Those are separate from the market figures above.
- License classification. A contractor license lets you bid and run your own jobs instead of earning a wage.
Comparing union, prevailing and market pay
These are not directly comparable. A union total package includes benefits, a prevailing wage applies only to covered public jobs, and the BLS market wage is straight time pay for everyone in the trade.
Methodology
Market figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, state and metro tables, May 2025. We never average across sources or occupations. Full methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state, metro and national tables. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination DC20260002 (Davis-Bacon, building), District of Columbia, revision 3. sam.gov
- U.S. Department of Labor, state prevailing wage laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
Salary information on Contractor Pathway is an estimate for educational purposes only. Figures come from public sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state prevailing wage determinations, federal wage determinations, and published union wage sheets. Actual pay depends on your employer, experience, local market, license classification, overtime, benefits, and the date of the data. Market wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes both union and non union workers. Union, prevailing wage, and market figures come from different sources and are not directly comparable. Some positions do not have official wage data, and those figures are marked as estimates with the method shown. This tool does not guarantee any wage, job offer, or income. Always confirm current rates with your local union, your state labor agency, or a prospective employer before making career or business decisions. Contractor Pathway is not responsible for decisions made based on these estimates.