Insulating
Everything OPM FedScope (June 2026) reports about the Insulating occupation series (code 3610): headcount, average salary, length of service, and pay comparison.
The verdict
With 567 employees (0.0% of the federal civilian workforce), Insulating ranks as a smaller, specialized federal occupation within the Structural and Finishing Work Family family, and headcount grew 1.1% from the prior period. Its average salary of $78,342 pays below the $117,339 federal average.
- Employees
- 567
- Share of workforce
- 0.0%
- Avg salary
- $78,342
- Avg tenure
- 9.9 yrs
What the Numbers Say About Insulating
Federal agencies employ 567 people in the Insulating occupation (OPM code 3610), accounting for 0.0% of the total federal civilian workforce of 1,953,300 for the June 2026 reporting window. Headcount in this occupation moved up by 1.1% versus the prior period, a modest but trackable signal for anyone considering this specialized federal career path.
Average tenure in Insulating runs 9.9 years, a mid-length average tenure, reflecting a mix of career employees and those who transfer or exit mid-career. Pay averages $78,342 per year, down -0.2% from the prior period, a small shift, within the range of normal year-to-year rounding rather than a broad pay-table change.
The Structural and Finishing Work Family family (code 36) groups Insulating together with 6 other related occupations across the federal government. Candidates browsing USAJOBS for Insulating postings should also review these sibling occupations in the Structural and Finishing Work Family family.
Within the Structural and Finishing Work Family family, Insulating is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 59.7% of the family's combined 949 employees. Its average salary ranks in the bottom half (33rd percentile) of pay among Structural and Finishing Work Family occupations.
Salary Context
How Insulating pay compares to the federal average of $117,339
Occupation Average
$78,342
Federal Average
$117,339
vs. Federal Avg
-33.2%
Where Insulating ranks on federal pay
Its average salary of $78,342 is higher than 35% of federal occupation series (187 of 541). The highlighted bar marks where Insulating sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 541 federal occupation series; Insulating ranks higher than 35%.
Related Occupations in Structural and Finishing Work Family
6 other occupations in the same family
| Occupation | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masonry | 241 | $72,911 | 11.7 yrs |
| Miscellaneous Structural & Finishing Work | 47 | $95,000 | 14 yrs |
| Tile Setting | 38 | $99,467 | 12.9 yrs |
| Roofing | 38 | $80,318 | 11.2 yrs |
| Cement Finishing | 10 | n/a | 16.4 yrs |
| Plastering | 8 | $73,254 | 19.2 yrs |
Nationwide occupation series with similar scale or pay
Two peer sets for Insulating outside the Structural and Finishing Work Family family, on headcount and average salary axes that vary across all OPM occupation series.
Similar headcount
Nearest employee counts in other occupation families (567 here).
Similar average salary
Nearest average salaries in other occupation families ($78,342 here).
Key takeaways
- Insulating pays below the federal average by 33.2% ($78,342 vs $117,339 federal-wide), at the 35th percentile for pay among 541 tracked occupation series.
- A smaller, specialized federal occupation by headcount: 567 employees, 0.0% of the federal civilian workforce, and headcount grew 1.1% from the prior period.
- According to OPM FedScope June 2026, Insulating ranks #279 of 663 federal occupation series by headcount (the same employee_count ordering as our occupations directory).
- Within the Structural and Finishing Work Family family, Insulating is the single largest occupation by headcount, accounting for 59.7% of the family's combined 949 employees.
OPM FedScope and Federal Workforce Data figures are federal civilian headcounts, average salaries, and length-of-service statistics - not job-quality scores, hiring advice, or a live vacancy listing. A larger or higher-paid agency is not a better employer.