Refractory Installer Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Refractory Installer in the United States was $61,290 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers earned between $50,050 and $75,000.
Broader occupation Our title "Refractory Installer" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-9045 Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons. BLS groups Refractory Installer within Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages
Refractory Installer, the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $40,590, half earned less than the median of $61,290, 90% earned less than $86,510 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,590 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $50,050 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $61,290 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $75,000 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $86,510 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $63,770 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages
Refractory Installer, the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $19.52, half earned less than the median of $29.47, 90% earned less than $41.59 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.52 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $24.06 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $29.47 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $36.06 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $41.59 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $30.66 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 1,080 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9045 Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons, National.
What BLS wages include. Base pay plus any guaranteed or production-based incentive pay. They leave out overtime, discretionary bonus, benefits, per diem and relocation.
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Not published by BLS for this area. Texas median: $67,330. | |||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $67,380 | $59,110 to $78,800 | 50 | 2.4 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Not published by BLS for this area. National median: $61,290. | |||
How does Refractory Installer pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 49-9045, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | 23 | $61,890 | Annual | 320 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 238000 | $66,300 | Annual | 200 |
| Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | 238100 | $66,580 | Annual | 110 |
| Manufacturing | 31-33 | $57,560 | Annual | 560 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 327000 | $56,740 | Annual | 170 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331000 | $57,820 | Annual | 330 |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 331100 | $50,710 | Annual | 270 |
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $77,220 | Annual | 200 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | $77,220 | Annual | 200 |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Scaffold Foreman (47-1011)Scaffold Superintendent (11-9021)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $77,220 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.38 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $67,380 | 50 | 2.4 | 1.36 |
| Birmingham, AL | $49,260 | 50 | 13.16 | 1.03 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Refractory Installer in National as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Refractory Installer in National, the published median for SOC 49-9045, Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons, is $61,290 per year. The middle half of the Refractory Installer in National wage distribution runs from $50,050 to $75,000, a width of $24,950 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Refractory Installer comparison, Birmingham, AL reports $49,260 per year while Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX reports $67,380 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Refractory Installer figure pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons, read alongside Refractory Installer in National, are Repair and Maintenance at $77,220 per year (NAICS 811000); Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance at $77,220 per year (NAICS 811300); Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors at $66,580 per year (NAICS 238100). Those Refractory Installer in National industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Refractory Installer in National median was $58,540 per year in May 2024, compared with $61,290 in May 2025, a published difference of $2,750. That Refractory Installer in National comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $58,540 and $61,290 Refractory Installer in National estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before offering $61,290 per year for Refractory Installer in National, separate overtime, per diem, lodging and mobilization separately; prevailing wage obligations and union scale depend on the assignment and agreement, not a special BLS traveling-worker percentile. The Refractory Installer in National BLS comparison includes ordinary wages and qualifying incentive pay, but leaves overtime, discretionary bonuses, benefits and relocation outside this wage figure. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Refractory Installer in National can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Refractory Installer in National is broader: BLS groups Refractory Installer within Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. For a Refractory Installer in National opening, establish the equipment, license requirements and responsibility before deciding which people the pay range should attract. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Refractory Installer in National buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Refractory Installer in National buyer?
Refractory Installer in National has a published middle-half band of $50,050 to $75,000, a width of $24,950 per year, with median $61,290. An offer inside that Refractory Installer in National band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Refractory Installer in National?
Birmingham, AL and Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Refractory Installer in National. Comparing those Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons tables with the $61,290 Refractory Installer in National median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Refractory Installer in National?
Refractory Installer in National uses national industry rows for SOC 49-9045, not local sector-specific wages. Repair and Maintenance leads the selected sortable rows at $77,220 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Refractory Installer in National.
What changed between the releases for Refractory Installer in National?
Refractory Installer in National moved from $58,540 in May 2024 to $61,290 in May 2025. These Refractory Installer in National published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 49-9045. Published annual median: $58,540 (May 2024) and $61,290 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.