NOC 72321: Insulators

Insulators apply insulation materials to plumbing, air-handling, heating, cooling and refrigeration systems, piping equipment and pressure vessels, and walls, floors and ceilings of buildings and other structures, to prevent or reduce the passage of heat, cold, sound or fire. They are employed by construction companies and insulation contractors, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.

TEER 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 72321 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 72321

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Read and interpret drawings and specifications to determine insulation requirements and select type of insulation required
• Measure and cut insulating material to required dimensions using hand and power tools
• Apply and secure insulation using spraying, blowing, pasting, strapping, taping and other application and installation methods
• Fit insulation around obstructions and between studs and joists
• Install vapour barriers
• Apply waterproofing cement over insulating materials to finish surfaces
• Remove asbestos or urea-formaldehyde insulation from buildings when required.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• boiler and pipe insulator
• building insulator
• firestopping insulator
• heat and frost insulator
• insulation applicator
• insulation mechanic
• insulator
• insulator apprentice
• sound insulator

Employment requirements

• Completion of secondary school is usually required.
• Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program or A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in insulating is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
• Trade certification for insulators (heat and frost) is compulsory in Quebec and available, but voluntary, in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
• Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified insulators (heat and frost) upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 72014Insulation supervisor