SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-8021.
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 | $50,590 | $4,216 | $973 | $24.32 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $63,160 | $5,263 | $1,215 | $30.37 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $78,620 | $6,552 | $1,512 | $37.80 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $101,150 | $8,429 | $1,945 | $48.63 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $125,390 | $10,449 | $2,411 | $60.28 |
* 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 Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators is $78,620, which is 54% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 6 by median pay. With 28,250 jobs, it makes up about 1.8 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in Illinois ($115,780), Wyoming ($111,920) and Hawaii ($103,400). The lowest was in Louisiana ($47,750), Puerto Rico ($51,320) and West Virginia ($53,340). The most jobs were in California (5,840), New York (4,480) and Pennsylvania (1,730). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 4.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1,680 | $115,780 | $106,410 | $55.66 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $111,920 | $102,500 | $53.81 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $103,400 | $94,580 | $49.71 |
| Connecticut | 270 | $94,870 | $91,990 | $45.61 |
| New York | 4,480 | $94,070 | $101,070 | $45.22 |
| Washington | 520 | $91,530 | $95,180 | $44.00 |
| California | 5,840 | $90,650 | $91,010 | $43.58 |
| District of Columbia | 620 | $90,470 | $89,400 | $43.50 |
| Alaska | 90 | $88,330 | $90,660 | $42.47 |
| Maryland | 850 | $85,240 | $85,940 | $40.98 |
| Michigan | 490 | $82,800 | $77,930 | $39.81 |
| Colorado | 560 | $81,310 | $78,280 | $39.09 |
| Massachusetts | 530 | $80,800 | $82,450 | $38.85 |
| Nevada | 60 | $79,110 | $88,360 | $38.03 |
| Montana | 110 | $77,690 | $77,000 | $37.35 |
| Delaware | 40 | $77,630 | $79,820 | $37.32 |
| New Jersey | 1,400 | $76,560 | $77,280 | $36.81 |
| Utah | 110 | $76,490 | $78,280 | $36.77 |
| Minnesota | 1,440 | $75,850 | $77,730 | $36.47 |
| Ohio | 760 | $75,470 | $74,120 | $36.29 |
| Arizona | 80 | $75,410 | $82,710 | $36.26 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $74,480 | $77,170 | $35.81 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,730 | $72,900 | $70,990 | $35.05 |
| South Carolina | 170 | $72,650 | $71,920 | $34.93 |
| Missouri | 380 | $72,620 | $68,950 | $34.91 |
| Tennessee | 370 | $72,470 | $65,300 | $34.84 |
| Georgia | 240 | $70,640 | $70,740 | $33.96 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $68,450 | $72,600 | $32.91 |
| Vermont | 70 | $68,400 | $65,530 | $32.89 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $68,090 | $64,300 | $32.74 |
| Oregon | 330 | $67,630 | $71,860 | $32.51 |
| Indiana | 290 | $67,560 | $70,040 | $32.48 |
| Iowa | 190 | $67,450 | $67,030 | $32.43 |
| Kentucky | 90 | $66,770 | $62,810 | $32.10 |
| North Dakota | 140 | $66,760 | $73,950 | $32.10 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | $66,180 | $68,830 | $31.82 |
| Florida | 170 | $65,040 | $66,750 | $31.27 |
| Nebraska | 290 | $64,930 | $67,060 | $31.22 |
| Kansas | 120 | $64,490 | $66,870 | $31.00 |
| Idaho | 120 | $64,460 | $66,500 | $30.99 |
| Virginia | 350 | $64,150 | $64,680 | $30.84 |
| Texas | 890 | $63,810 | $66,890 | $30.68 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $63,330 | $69,050 | $30.45 |
| Maine | 290 | $62,910 | $64,900 | $30.24 |
| Wisconsin | 270 | $61,170 | $62,330 | $29.41 |
| North Carolina | 220 | $60,860 | $59,430 | $29.26 |
| Arkansas | 200 | $58,000 | $57,250 | $27.89 |
| Mississippi | 200 | $53,640 | $59,070 | $25.79 |
| Alabama | 220 | $53,470 | $57,630 | $25.71 |
| West Virginia | 40 | $53,340 | $53,230 | $25.64 |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | $51,320 | $52,640 | $24.67 |
| Louisiana | 290 | $47,750 | $57,830 | $22.96 |
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
- Power Plant Operators$102,040 a year
- Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers$96,710 a year
- Gas Plant Operators$87,820 a year
- Chemical Plant and System Operators$78,120 a year
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450 a year
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers$68,120 a year
Common questions
How much do Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $78,620 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $50,590 and the highest-paid 10% more than $125,390.
How many people work as Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators?
About 28,250 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.