Insulation and Home Improvement Installers

ANZSCO ID 8214

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
28,700
Future Growth
8.5%
Weekly Earnings
$1,379
Full-Time Share
72%
Female Share
3%
Average age
40

Summary

Insulation and Home Improvement Installers install a variety of insulation materials to improve resistance to heat, cold, air, sound and moisture, and install functional and decorative home improvements.

Tasks

  • examining plans, specifications and work sites to determine the type and quality of installations required and their location

  • preparing site for insulation and installation of fittings by nailing up furring, drilling holes for screws and bolts, and erecting scaffolding and ladders

  • gluing blocks and slabs of foamed plastic and cork to walls

  • operating equipment to blow and spray mineral wool, fibre fill and foam insulation material into cavities

  • cutting insulation material to size and shape, and nailing and stapling batt-type insulation to joists, studs and furring

  • measuring, cutting and applying solar control film to windows

  • fitting awnings, security screens, shower screens, prefabricated windows and doors, exterior cladding and other home improvements using hand tools

  • drilling holes in wood, brick, stone and fibrous structures, and bolting, screwing and nailing fittings into place

  • attaching and adjusting mechanical fittings such as cranks, locks and pull-cords

  • installing flashing and waterproofing to fittings such as shower screens and prefabricated windows and doors

Characteristics

Job Type
Labourers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
Physical Demand
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow strongly
  • is likely to reach 24,300 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
8.5%
(or 1,900 jobs)
From
22,400
in 2021
To
24,300
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 16,500
2012 13,500
2013 17,100
2014 13,600
2015 19,600
2016 27,400
2017 25,600
2018 18,300
2019 29,500
2020 20,100
2021 22,400
2026 24,300

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 78% of people employed as Insulation and Home Improvement Installers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Median full-time earnings are $1,379 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,265
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,626

    Median hourly earnings are $33, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Insulation and Home Improvement Installers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,379 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.


Industries

Main industries

1
Construction
72.1%
2
Manufacturing
14.2%
3
Retail Trade
6.4%
4
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services
1.5%
5
Other industries
4.9%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

23.9% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

22.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

12.1% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.1% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.5% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.2% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Insulation and Home Improvement Installers All Jobs Average
NSW 31.5 31.6
VIC 23.9 25.6
QLD 22.3 20.0
SA 7.4 7.0
WA 12.1 10.8
TAS 1.1 2.0
NT 0.5 1.0
ACT 1.2 1.9


  • Around 42% of Insulation and Home Improvement Installers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
40
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
3%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Insulation and Home Improvement Installers is 40 years. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 3% of the workforce. This is 45 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Insulation and Home Improvement Installers All Jobs Average
15-19 2.9 5.0
20-24 9.7 9.3
25-34 24.6 22.9
35-44 24.4 22.0
45-54 22.5 21.6
55-59 7.8 9.0
60-64 5.3 6.0
65 and Over 2.7 4.2
Median Age 40 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not usually required to work as an Insulation or Home Improvement Installer. Some workers have Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualifications in areas such as building, carpentry, joinery or metal trades.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Construction, Plumbing and Services VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Insulation and Home Improvement Installers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.5 10.1
Bachelor degree 3.5 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.7 11.6
Certificate III/IV 39.2 21.1
Year 12 20.1 18.1
Year 11 8.3 4.8
Year 10 and below 23.7 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Insulation and Home Improvement Installers who make good decisions, are polite, courteous and reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 43%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 41%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 39%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 39%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 39%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 37%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 34%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 34%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 32%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 32%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 32%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 32%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 30%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 30%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 30%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 30%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 30%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 29%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 29%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 27%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 50%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 46%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 40%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 38%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 36%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 34%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 34%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 32%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 31%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 30%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 26%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 24%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 22%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 21%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 19%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 18%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 16%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 16%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 15%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 13%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 59%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 48%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 45%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 45%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 45%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 43%

    Balance

    Keep your balance or stay upright.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 43%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 41%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 41%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 41%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 41%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 41%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 41%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 39%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 39%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 37%

    Dynamic strength

    Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • 32%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 79%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 61%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 54%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 50%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 50%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 48%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 46%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 46%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 46%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 44%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 44%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 44%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 44%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 42%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 41%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 37%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 35%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 34%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 34%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 27%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 33%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 38%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 33%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 33%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 93%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 86%

    Wear specialized protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection.

  • 85%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 85%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 82%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 81%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 81%

    Very hot or cold temperatures

    Work in very hot or cold temperatures.

  • 80%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 79%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 78%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 78%

    Minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings

    Be exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings.

  • 78%

    Indoors, not heat controlled

    Work indoors without heating or cooling (e.g., warehouse without heat).

  • 78%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 77%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 76%

    Cramped work space

    Work in an awkward position or in cramped work spaces.

  • 75%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 74%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 74%

    Work at heights

    Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).

  • 74%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 73%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 47-2131.00 - Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall.


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