Boilermakers
What Boilermakers Do
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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.2/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.2/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Building and Constructionimportance 2.8/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 2.6/5
- Physicsimportance 2.5/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.5/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Telephone Conversations5.0/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9/5
- Contact With Others4.7/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.6/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.4/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Riggers93% skill match
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood92% skill match
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery91% skill match
- Textile Knitting and Weaving Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders91% skill match
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic91% skill match
- Sheet Metal Workers90% skill match
- Machinists89% skill match
- Home Appliance Repairers89% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 4.0/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.8/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.1/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
- Repairingimportance 3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
- Equipment Selectionimportance 3.0/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Health and safety training software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 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.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where boilermakers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Baton Rouge, LA25.40× national avg
- 2Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX21.39× national avg
- 3Corpus Christi, TX13.19× national avg
- 4Lafayette, LA9.14× national avg
- 5Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX5.43× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, GeneralCareer Change
- Sheet Metal WorkersLateral Move
- Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair WorkersCareer Change
- Maintenance Workers, MachineryCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.