SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 47-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $50,490 | $4,208 | $971 | $24.28 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $64,760 | $5,397 | $1,245 | $31.13 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $76,410 | $6,368 | $1,469 | $36.74 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $95,430 | $7,952 | $1,835 | $45.88 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $110,370 | $9,198 | $2,122 | $53.06 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Boilermakers is $76,410, which is 50% higher. Among the 60 occupations of the field Construction and Extraction, it ranks number 4 by median pay. With 10,190 jobs, it makes up about 0.7 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Boilermakers pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($118,150), Mississippi ($105,910) and New Mexico ($101,200). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,120), Maryland ($42,250) and North Carolina ($49,720). The most jobs were in Texas (2,340), Louisiana (1,220) and California (720). The occupation is most concentrated in Louisiana, where its share of all jobs is 9.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 720 | $118,150 | $115,900 | $56.80 |
| Mississippi | 280 | $105,910 | $87,400 | $50.92 |
| New Mexico | 300 | $101,200 | $92,140 | $48.66 |
| Illinois | 110 | $99,730 | $98,300 | $47.95 |
| Michigan | not published | $98,220 | $87,440 | $47.22 |
| Wisconsin | 170 | $97,590 | $85,050 | $46.92 |
| Minnesota | 140 | $96,190 | $92,800 | $46.25 |
| Washington | 190 | $95,200 | $95,120 | $45.77 |
| Indiana | 170 | $91,410 | $88,640 | $43.95 |
| Colorado | 40 | $89,350 | $88,080 | $42.96 |
| Idaho | 70 | $88,400 | $89,790 | $42.50 |
| Pennsylvania | 260 | $86,850 | $86,110 | $41.75 |
| Ohio | 300 | $85,550 | $79,910 | $41.13 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | $85,470 | $76,210 | $41.09 |
| New York | 410 | $84,770 | $93,870 | $40.76 |
| Iowa | 50 | $82,470 | $76,840 | $39.65 |
| New Jersey | 280 | $82,410 | $80,990 | $39.62 |
| Connecticut | 50 | $80,360 | $72,600 | $38.64 |
| Missouri | 100 | $78,550 | $83,020 | $37.76 |
| Arizona | 170 | $77,940 | $77,180 | $37.47 |
| Wyoming | 30 | $77,900 | $79,320 | $37.45 |
| Oklahoma | not published | $77,750 | $66,380 | $37.38 |
| Arkansas | 50 | $76,810 | $86,660 | $36.93 |
| Texas | 2,340 | $75,750 | $75,850 | $36.42 |
| South Carolina | not published | $74,840 | $73,600 | $35.98 |
| Kentucky | 150 | $74,810 | $74,080 | $35.97 |
| Louisiana | 1,220 | $73,980 | $71,540 | $35.57 |
| Kansas | 70 | $72,170 | $76,210 | $34.70 |
| Florida | 400 | $69,790 | $65,190 | $33.55 |
| Virginia | 150 | $67,540 | $65,320 | $32.47 |
| Georgia | not published | $64,200 | $64,910 | $30.86 |
| West Virginia | 30 | $63,850 | $68,270 | $30.70 |
| Alabama | 180 | $63,570 | $63,450 | $30.56 |
| Nevada | 70 | $61,430 | $68,570 | $29.53 |
| Tennessee | 180 | $51,810 | $71,530 | $24.91 |
| North Carolina | 150 | $49,720 | $59,070 | $23.90 |
| Maryland | 30 | $42,250 | $49,950 | $20.31 |
| Puerto Rico | 120 | $29,120 | $38,050 | $14.00 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers$109,910 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers$79,920 a year
- Roof Bolters, Mining$78,540 a year
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers$76,170 a year
- Construction and Building Inspectors$74,690 a year
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining$74,500 a year
Common questions
How much do Boilermakers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $76,410 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,490 and the highest-paid 10% more than $110,370.
How many people work as Boilermakers?
About 10,190 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.