Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall
Machines can already do 20% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 60%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 20% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2033, and 60% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 44,440 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $49,120 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 64% for contact with people.
- Also called: Attic Blower, Insulation Estimator, Insulation Installer, Insulation Mechanic.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit, wrap, staple, or glue insulating materials to structures or surfaces, using hand tools or wires | 28% | 20% to 60% | |
| Cover and line structures with blown or rolled forms of materials to insulate against cold, heat, or moisture, using saws, knives, rasps, trowels, blowers, or other tools and implements | 20% | 20% to 60% | |
| Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, power saws, knives, or scissors | 17% | 20% to 60% | |
| Distribute insulating materials evenly into small spaces within floors, ceilings, or walls, using blowers and hose attachments, or cement mortars | 10% | 20% to 60% | |
| Cover, seal, or finish insulated surfaces or access holes with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement or asphalt mastic | 8% | 20% to 60% | |
| Fill blower hoppers with insulating materials | 4% | 20% to 60% | |
| Read blueprints, and select appropriate insulation, based on space characteristics and the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material | 4% | 40% to 70% | |
| Move controls, buttons, or levers to start blowers and regulate flow of materials through nozzles | 3% | 20% to 60% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Pipelayers58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $49,000
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers49% of tasks by 2035 · US median $47,630
- Segmental Pavers40% of tasks by 2035
- Plasterers and Stucco Masons59% of tasks by 2035 · US median $57,660
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2033. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall?
Machines can do 20% of the tasks of insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall today and 60% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 47-2131.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/insulation-workers-floor-ceiling-and-wall/