Boilermakers held about 14,500 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of boilermakers were as follows:
| Utility system construction | 18% |
| Nonresidential building construction | 16 |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 11 |
| Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | 10 |
| Other building equipment contractors | 6 |
Boilermakers do physically demanding work in cramped spaces inside boilers, vats, or tanks that are often dark, damp, noisy, and poorly ventilated. They frequently work outdoors in all types of weather, including extreme heat and cold.
Because dams, boilers, storage tanks, and pressure vessels are large, boilermakers frequently work at great heights. For example, they may be hundreds of feet above the ground when working on a dam.
Injuries and Illnesses
The work that boilermakers do can be dangerous. Workers must follow specific safety procedures to avoid injuries and illnesses and must be mindful of potential dangers to themselves and their coworkers. To reduce the risk of injury, boilermakers wear hardhats, earplugs, safety glasses, and other protective equipment. When working in enclosed spaces, boilermakers often wear a respirator.
Work Schedules
Most boilermakers work full time, and work schedules may vary. Boilermakers may experience extended periods of overtime when equipment is shut down for maintenance or repair, or when necessary to meet construction or production deadlines. In contrast, because most field construction and repair is contract work, there may be periods of unemployment upon completion of a contract.
Boilermakers may travel to worksites and be away from home for extended periods.
Most boilermakers learn their trade through an apprenticeship program.
Education
A high school diploma or equivalent is generally required.
Training
Boilermakers typically learn their trade through an apprenticeship program. During training, workers learn how to use boilermaker tools and equipment on the job. They also learn about metals and installation techniques, blueprint reading and sketching, safety practices, and other topics.
Apprenticeship programs typically last 4 years. When boilermakers finish an apprenticeship, they are considered to be journey-level workers. A few groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs.
Apprenticeship applicants who have previous welding or other related experience, such as through the military, may have priority over applicants without experience. In addition, those with experience or education may qualify for a shortened apprenticeship.
Some boilermakers enter apprenticeships after working as pipefitters, millwrights, sheet metal workers, or welders. The core training for these occupations is similar to the training for boilermakers.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Some states require boilermakers to have a license; check with your state for more information. Licensure requirements typically include work experience and passing an exam.
Employers may require or prefer that boilermakers hold certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Welding certifications may also be helpful.
Boilermakers typically have an interest in the Building and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Building interest area indicates a focus on working with tools and machines, and making or fixing practical things. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Building or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a boilermaker, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Boilermakers should also possess the following specific qualities:
Physical stamina. Workers must have high endurance because they spend many hours on their feet while lifting heavy boiler components.
Physical strength. Workers must be strong enough to move heavy vat components into place.
Unafraid of confined spaces. Because workers often work inside boilers and vats, they cannot be claustrophobic.
Unafraid of heights. Some boilermakers must work at great heights. While installing water storage tanks, for example, workers may need to weld tanks several stories above the ground.
The median annual wage for boilermakers was $63,100 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,840, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $94,440.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for boilermakers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors | $80,350 |
| Nonresidential building construction | 64,380 |
| Utility system construction | 64,310 |
| Other building equipment contractors | 63,840 |
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 58,120 |
Apprentices receive less pay than fully trained boilermakers. They receive pay increases as they learn more skills.
Most boilermakers work full time, and work schedules may vary. Boilermakers may experience extended periods of overtime when equipment is shut down for maintenance or repair, or when necessary to meet construction or production deadlines. In contrast, because most field construction and repair work is contract work, there may be periods of unemployment upon completion of a contract.
Boilermakers may travel to worksites and be away from home for extended periods.
Employment of boilermakers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Although boilers typically last more than 50 years, the need to replace and maintain parts, such as boiler tubes, heating elements, and ductwork, is an ongoing process that will require the work of more boilermakers. Boilermakers also are needed to install new equipment, including boilers, pressure vessels, air pollution abatement equipment, and storage and process tanks.
Job Prospects
About 1,600 openings for boilermakers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who exit the labor force, such as to retire, and from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations.
As with other construction occupations, employment of boilermakers is sensitive to fluctuations of the economy. On the one hand, workers may experience periods of unemployment when the overall level of construction falls. On the other hand, additional workers may be needed during peak periods of building activity in some areas.
For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities as a boilermaker, contact local boiler construction contractors; a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; a local joint union–management apprenticeship committee; or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online, or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities.
For more information about apprenticeship and training, visit
Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers
For more information about certification, visit
National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)
For information about welding certification, visit
For information about opportunities for former military service members, visit: