Career profile · 47-2011
Boilermakers
Construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries. Align structures or plate sections to assemble boiler frame tanks or vats, following blueprints. Work involves use of hand and power tools, plumb bobs, levels, wedges, dogs, or turnbuckles. Assist in testing assembled vessels. Direct cleaning of boilers and boiler furnaces. Inspect and repair boiler fittings, such as safety valves, regulators, automatic-control mechanisms, water columns, and auxiliary machines.
What the work can involve
- Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers.
- Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
- Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
- Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
- Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
- Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof joints.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Building and Construction
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 73.0%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 78.8%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 42.1%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 72.9%08/2025 · sample 17 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 56.8%08/2025 · sample 17 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD
- Computer based training software: Health and safety training software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for boilermakers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 37 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,570 | $30.56 | 180 |
| Arizona | $77,940 | $37.47 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $76,810 | $36.93 | 50 |
| California | $118,150 | $56.80 | 720 |
| Colorado | $89,350 | $42.96 | 40 |
| Connecticut | $80,360 | $38.64 | 50 |
| Florida | $69,790 | $33.55 | 400 |
| Georgia | $64,200 | $30.86 | Not published |
| Idaho | $88,400 | $42.50 | 70 |
| Illinois | $99,730 | $47.95 | 110 |
| Indiana | $91,410 | $43.95 | 170 |
| Iowa | $82,470 | $39.65 | 50 |
| Kansas | $72,170 | $34.70 | 70 |
| Kentucky | $74,810 | $35.97 | 150 |
| Louisiana | $73,980 | $35.57 | 1,220 |
| Maryland | $42,250 | $20.31 | 30 |
| Michigan | $98,220 | $47.22 | Not published |
| Minnesota | $96,190 | $46.25 | 140 |
| Mississippi | $105,910 | $50.92 | 280 |
| Missouri | $78,550 | $37.76 | 100 |
| Nevada | $61,430 | $29.53 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $85,470 | $41.09 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $82,410 | $39.62 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $101,200 | $48.66 | 300 |
| New York | $84,770 | $40.76 | 410 |
| North Carolina | $49,720 | $23.90 | 150 |
| Ohio | $85,550 | $41.13 | 300 |
| Oklahoma | $77,750 | $37.38 | Not published |
| Pennsylvania | $86,850 | $41.75 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $74,840 | $35.98 | Not published |
| Tennessee | $51,810 | $24.91 | 180 |
| Texas | $75,750 | $36.42 | 2,340 |
| Virginia | $67,540 | $32.47 | 150 |
| Washington | $95,200 | $45.77 | 190 |
| West Virginia | $63,850 | $30.70 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $97,590 | $46.92 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $77,900 | $37.45 | 30 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 32 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 47-2011.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.