Insulation Workers, Mechanical
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
25,660 people do this job in the US. $58,340 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 18%
- 0%
- 82%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 16%. Today's estimate: 17%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 9 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply, remove, and repair insulation on industrial equipment, pipes, ductwork, or other mechanical systems such as heat exchangers, tanks, and vessels, to help control noise and maintain temperatures.Done daily by most who do it. | 27% | 2.1 h50 min to 6.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 17% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Fit insulation around obstructions, and shape insulating materials and protective coverings as required.Done daily by most who do it. | 16% | 1.1 h25 min to 2.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Determine the amounts and types of insulation needed, and methods of installation, based on factors such as location, surface shape, and equipment use.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | 87%Half by now | |
| Cover, seal, or finish insulated surfaces or access holes with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement, or asphalt mastic.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 50 min21 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Install sheet metal around insulated pipes with screws to protect the insulation from weather conditions or physical damage.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 h33 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Prepare surfaces for insulation application by brushing or spreading on adhesives, cement, or asphalt, or by attaching metal pins to surfaces.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 6% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Select appropriate insulation, such as fiberglass, Styrofoam, or cork, based on the heat retaining or excluding characteristics of the material.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Read blueprints and specifications to determine job requirements.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 3% | 38 min13 min to 1.7 h | 95%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).