How to become a building insulation worker
Official title: Building insulation worker
Also called: Insulation installer, Insulation labourer, Building insulator, Acoustical insulator, Insulating contractor
Building insulation workers install insulation in roofs and walls and under floors to keep homes and buildings warm and dry and reduce noise.
Main tasks
- Install insulation in roofs, walls and floors
- Remove old and damaged insulation materials
- Measure insulation for correct fitting
- Cut insulation materials to correct sizes
- Prepare surfaces before installing insulation
- Apply sealants to stop air leaks
- Load insulation materials into equipment
- Choose insulation materials for each job
How to become one
You usually learn on the job to become a building insulation worker and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; to do a Site Safe Passport course; to do an Insulation Association of New Zealand (IAONZ) training course or similar; to pass a police check; to pass a drug test.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $56,000 to $84,000 a year (median $68,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Upper: $97,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 840 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
- Carpet installer
- Brush hand
- Flooring installer
- Floor finisher
- Wall and floor tiler
- Drywall and ceiling tile installer
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a building insulation worker?
You usually learn on the job to become a building insulation worker and experience may be useful. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; to do a Site Safe Passport course; to do an Insulation Association of New Zealand (IAONZ) training course or similar; to pass a police check; to pass a drug test.
How much does a building insulation worker earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $68,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $56,000 to $84,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a building insulation worker grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026