Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
What Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Do
Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.1%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mechanicalimportance 4.1/5
- Chemistryimportance 3.4/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.3/5
- Physicsimportance 3.2/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.2/5
- English Languageimportance 3.1/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.1/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Telephone Conversations4.8/5
- Contact With Others4.7/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.7/5
- Health and Safety of Other Workers4.7/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.6/5
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.
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters95% skill match
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers94% skill match
- Ship Engineers93% skill match
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic93% skill match
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders93% skill match
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers93% skill match
- Commercial Divers93% skill match
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas93% 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 3.4/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.3/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.3/5
- Repairingimportance 3.3/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
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 stationary engineers and boiler operators make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Napa, CA6.27× national avg
- 2Kingston, NY4.37× national avg
- 3Vallejo, CA4.33× national avg
- 4Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY3.87× national avg
- 5Binghamton, NY3.78× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Ship EngineersCareer Change
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersCareer Change
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System OperatorsLateral Move
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and RepairersCareer Change
See the full career path from Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators →