Thermal insulation engineer
Thermal insulation engineers install insulating materials around pipes, boilers and ductwork in offices, factories, schools and hospitals.
Also known as: Pipework lagger, thermal insulation installer
- Starter salary£20,000 a year
- Experienced£40,000 a year
- Typical hours42 to 44 a week
- Green jobPotential
What you'll do
As a thermal insulation engineer, you could:
- choose the right materials and tools for a particular job
- prepare areas to be insulated
- fit insulation or cladding following engineering plans
- fasten insulation using clips, sprays, adhesives or wire bands
- seal work areas after fitting insulation
- remove old materials like asbestos, in line with health and safety regulations
Working environment
You could work on a construction site, in a factory or at a manufacturing plant.
Your working environment may be cramped, dusty and physically demanding.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- knowledge of building and construction
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to work well with your hands
- knowledge of maths
- persistence and determination
- the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a thermal insulation engineer
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
College
You can do a college course to get some of the skills you'll need to get a trainee job with a company.
Courses include:
- building services engineering
- fabrication and welding engineering
- T Level in Building Services Engineering for Construction
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Apprenticeship
You can apply for a place on an apprenticeship to get started in this career, for example:
- Commercial Thermal Insulation Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
- Industrial Thermal Insulation Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
These can take up to 2 years to complete and include a mix of training on the job with off-site study.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Direct application
You can apply directly for jobs if you've got experience and qualifications in a related area of work, like:
- pipe fitting
- heating and ventilation engineering
- building services engineering
- refrigeration or air conditioning installation
Restrictions and requirements
You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
Career path and progression
You could take further training while you work to move into a technical, supervisory or managerial role, such as:
- foreperson
- site safety officer
- building services technician
You could also find work in related industries, like heating and ventilation engineering or air-conditioning and refrigeration.
Registration
- you'll need a Thermal Insulation Contractors Association (TICA) skill card to train and work on commercial and industrial sites
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job rolePipe fitter
- Job roleCavity insulation installer
- Job roleBuilding services engineer
- Job roleHeating and ventilation engineer
- Job roleRefrigeration and air-conditioning installer
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0