Insulation Installers in the Utica area earn a median of $51,950 a year, 8% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #33 of 106 metros for insulation installers nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Syracuse and Albany.
It's one of 6 New York metros with published pay for this trade; see insulation installer pay in New York.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for insulation installers here is above average compared with other U.S. metros, and also above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is about the same as in most metros (3.9%) and the population is shrinking (-2.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 21 one-person building equipment installation businesses averaging $77,048 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $68/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Utica scorecard for insulation installers Our calculation
Grades compare Utica with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($48,305).
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among insulation installers in Utica.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Utica Our calculation
Prices in Utica run 7% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $56,054 would in a typical place, ranking #30 of 105 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Utica from this pay, local rent and prices.
What insulation installers do
Line and cover structures with insulating materials. May work with batt, roll, or blown insulation materials.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, power saws, knives, or scissors.
- Fit, wrap, staple, or glue insulating materials to structures or surfaces, using hand tools or wires.
- 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.
- Distribute insulating materials evenly into small spaces within floors, ceilings, or walls, using blowers and hose attachments, or cement mortars.
- Move controls, buttons, or levers to start blowers and regulate flow of materials through nozzles.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, insulation installer jobs are projected to grow 2.4% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 3,000 openings a year. About 2% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often insulation installers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in New York Official source
New York licenses most trades at the city or county level (e.g. New York City). Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for insulation installers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, insulation installers have 312 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 3.6× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is falls, slips and trips.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying NY metros for insulation installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkNEW YORK · NY | $61,730 | $54,840 | 1,500 |
| AlbanyNEW YORK · NY | $57,190 | $57,439 | 90 |
| SyracuseNEW YORK · NY | $56,680 | $59,201 | 80 |
| RochesterNEW YORK · NY | $55,960 | $57,670 | 100 |
| UticaNEW YORK · NY | $51,950 | $56,054 | 50 |
| BuffaloNEW YORK · NY | $48,310 | $50,405 | 140 |
See every metro in New York.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Utica area's unemployment rate was 3.9% in 2025 (all workers, not just insulation installers), below the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Utica area is 21 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 9% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 1% take transit and 10% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Utica area's population shrank 2.0% from 2020 to 2025 (291,308 → 285,611), ranking #362 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -2,063).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Utica
The Utica area has about 138,500 homes. 75% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 5% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 72% of households own their home, and the median home value is $198,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Utica are down 32% from 2021 to 2025 (456 → 308).
In 2025 the Utica area approved permits for 308 new homes (219 single-family), or 1.1 per 1,000 residents, ranking #354 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 21 one-person businesses (no employees) in building equipment installation, averaging $77,048 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Utica compares among the best cities to start an insulation installer business.
They compete with 6 building equipment installation companies that have employees (about 56 workers in total).
Working outdoors in Utica Government data
In an average year, Utica has 5 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 140 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 95 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more. Summer afternoons average 78°F and winter nights 17°F. That matters for insulation installers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Utica Oneida Co Airport, NY station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $51,950 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get insulation installer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Utica with another city →
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ToolBest cities for insulation installersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in UticaSee where it falls among local insulation installers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolUtica budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Utica metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Utica against every other metro for insulation installers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.