All careers › Boilermakers
Boilermaker: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $50,490lowest 10% earn less
- $64,76025th percentile
- $76,410median
- $95,43075th percentile
- $110,370top 10% earn more
The median boilermaker earned $76,410 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to dip 1.8% from 2025 to 2035[2].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -1.8%[2]
- Openings per year
- 700[5]
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent[6]
How much do boilermakers make?
The median pay for boilermakers was $76,410 a year, or $36.74 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $80,090 a year, or $38.50 an hour[7]. The median for all occupations was $50,980[4].
Pay across the range[3]:
| Percentile | Annual pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| 10th[3][8] | $50,490 | $24.28 |
| 25th[3][8] | $64,760 | $31.13 |
| 75th[3][8] | $95,430 | $45.88 |
| 90th[3][8] | $110,370 | $53.06 |
The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,490[3]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9].
These figures cover about 10,190 boilermakers in wage and salary jobs[10]. They leave out the self-employed and do not include benefits[11].
Pay by state and city
California had the highest median at $118,150, followed by Mississippi at $105,910 and New Mexico at $101,200[12]. Maryland was lowest of the 37 states with published data, at $42,250[12].
Texas had the most boilermaker jobs at 2,340[13]. Louisiana (1,220), California (720), New York (410) and Florida (400) came next[13].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA had the highest median at $110,370[14]. Pittsburgh, PA followed at $91,420[14]. Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX had the most jobs at 1,170, with a median of $77,090[15].
Show median pay in 37 states
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California[12] | $118,150 | 720 |
| Mississippi | $105,910 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $101,200 | 300 |
| Illinois | $99,730 | 110 |
| Michigan | $98,220 | n/a |
| Wisconsin | $97,590 | 170 |
| Minnesota | $96,190 | 140 |
| Washington | $95,200 | 190 |
| Indiana | $91,410 | 170 |
| Colorado | $89,350 | 40 |
| Idaho | $88,400 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $86,850 | 260 |
| Ohio | $85,550 | 300 |
| New Hampshire | $85,470 | 60 |
| New York | $84,770 | 410 |
| Iowa | $82,470 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $82,410 | 280 |
| Connecticut | $80,360 | 50 |
| Missouri | $78,550 | 100 |
| Arizona | $77,940 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $77,900 | 30 |
| Oklahoma | $77,750 | n/a |
| Arkansas | $76,810 | 50 |
| Texas | $75,750 | 2,340 |
| South Carolina | $74,840 | n/a |
| Kentucky | $74,810 | 150 |
| Louisiana | $73,980 | 1,220 |
| Kansas | $72,170 | 70 |
| Florida | $69,790 | 400 |
| Virginia | $67,540 | 150 |
| Georgia | $64,200 | n/a |
| West Virginia | $63,850 | 30 |
| Alabama | $63,570 | 180 |
| Nevada | $61,430 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $51,810 | 180 |
| North Carolina | $49,720 | 150 |
| Maryland | $42,250 | 30 |
How to become a boilermaker
Here is the usual path:
- First: get a high school diploma or equivalent[16]. BLS lists this as the typical entry education[6].
- Next: join an apprenticeship. This is how most boilermakers learn the trade[17]. Programs typically last 4 years[18]. Unions and contractor associations are among the groups that sponsor them[18].
- Then: finish the program. Graduates are considered journey-level workers[18].
Training covers tools and equipment, metals, installation, blueprint reading, sketching and safety[19]. Applicants with welding or other related experience, including military experience, may get priority[20]. Experience or education may shorten the apprenticeship[20]. Some people enter after working as pipefitters, millwrights, sheet metal workers or welders[21].
Some states require a license, usually with work experience and an exam[22]. Employers may require or prefer a professional certification[23].
Prior work experience is not needed to start[6].
What boilermakers do
O*NET says boilermakers build, assemble, maintain and repair steam boilers and the equipment around them[24]. Common tasks include[25]:
- Running pressure tests on boilers and other vessels
- Studying blueprints to find where parts go and how big they are
- Checking vessels and parts for leaks, weak spots and other defects
- Laying out and marking heavy metal for cutting and bending
- Welding or beading tube ends so joints do not leak
- Shaping parts such as stacks and chutes with heavy metalworking machines
- Positioning and securing parts to boiler frames and tanks
- Cleaning pressure vessel equipment with scrapers, brushes and solvents
Where boilermakers work
The work is physically demanding. It often happens in cramped, dark, damp, noisy spaces inside boilers, vats or tanks, and often outdoors in any weather[26]. Because dams, boilers and tanks are large, boilermakers often work at great heights[27].
The work can be dangerous. Workers follow safety procedures and wear protective gear such as hardhats, earplugs, safety glasses and sometimes respirators[28]. Utility system construction was the largest employer, at 21%[29].
Most boilermakers work full time, and schedules vary[30]. Overtime can run long during equipment shutdowns or tight deadlines[30]. Field work is mostly contract work, so gaps between contracts may happen[30]. Travel and time away from home are possible[31].
Job outlook
Employment of boilermakers is projected to fall 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,200 to 10,100 jobs[2]. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[32]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].
About 700 openings a year are still projected[5]. Openings include jobs that open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.6% of boilermakers leave the labor force and 3.8% move to a different occupation[33].
Is it a good fit?
Median pay is well above the all-occupations median[1][4], and the apprenticeship route starts from a high school diploma[16][18]. The trade-offs are a projected decline in jobs[2], physically demanding work in tight spaces and at heights[26][27], and possible travel and gaps between contracts[30][31]. Pay also varies a lot by state[12].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a boilermaker make an hour?
- The median was $36.74 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $38.50[1][7].
- How long does it take to become a boilermaker?
- Apprenticeship programs typically last 4 years, and prior experience or education may shorten them[18][20].
- What education do you need to be a boilermaker?
- A high school diploma or equivalent, followed by an apprenticeship[16][17].
- What is the highest paying state for boilermakers?
- California, with a median of $118,150 a year[12].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Boilermakers in the US was $76,410 per year and $36.74 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Boilermakers is projected to decline 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 10,200 to 10,100 jobs (a change of -200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Boilermakers: 10th percentile $50,490, 25th percentile $64,760, 75th percentile $95,430, 90th percentile $110,370. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 700 openings for Boilermakers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Boilermakers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Apprenticeship. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Boilermakers was $80,090 per year and $38.50 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Boilermakers: 10th percentile $24.28, 25th percentile $31.13, 75th percentile $45.88, 90th percentile $53.06. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 10,190 people were employed as Boilermakers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Boilermakers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Boilermakers jobs: Texas 2,340; Louisiana 1,220; California 720; New York 410; Florida 400. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Boilermakers (areas with at least 100 jobs): Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $110,370; Pittsburgh, PA $91,420; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $86,910; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $82,420; New Orleans-Metairie, LA $77,290; Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $77,090; Baton Rouge, LA $74,730; Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX $73,060. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Boilermakers jobs: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 1,170 (median $77,090); Baton Rouge, LA 680 (median $74,730); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 330 (median $82,420); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 320 (median $110,370); Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 230 (median $73,060); Corpus Christi, TX 170 (median $64,660). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- O*NET description of Boilermakers. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Boilermakers. O*NET OnLine
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of boilermakers in 2025: Utility system construction 21%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Boilermakers: 3.6% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.8% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.