Boilermakers
Boilermakers (SOC 47-2011) earn a median $76,410 a year ($36.74 an hour) in the United States, with 10,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What boilermakers do
Boilermakers build, assemble, test and repair the large metal vessels that hold liquids and gases under pressure, including boilers, tanks, vats and heat exchangers. New installation work can involve laying out heavy steel plate from blueprints, marking cutting and bending lines, shaping parts on brakes, rolls or drill presses, and fitting sections together on a foundation before joining them. Boilermakers are not the same as the welders who may join their parts, nor as the stationary engineers who operate a boiler once it is running. Repair work starts with finding leaks, weak spots or defective tubes and valves, then belling, beading or welding tube ends until the joints hold. They also inspect fittings such as safety valves, regulators and water columns, and direct the cleaning of boilers and furnaces. Pressure testing of the finished vessel comes at the end.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or the equivalent as the education needed.
Also called: Assembler, Boiler Control Technician (Boiler Control Tech), Boiler Erector, Boiler Fitter, Boiler Installer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $24.28 | $31.13 | $36.74 | $45.88 | $53.06 | $38.50 | 10,190 |
| Annual | $50,490 | $64,760 | $76,410 | $95,430 | $110,370 | $80,090 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where boilermakers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $40.37 | $51.45 | $56.80 | $62.21 | $65.82 | $55.72 | 720 | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $83,960 | $107,010 | $118,150 | $129,390 | $136,900 | $115,900 | ||||
| Mississippi | Hourly | $17.55 | $29.02 | $50.92 | $52.38 | $52.38 | $42.02 | 280 | 0.24 | 3.65 |
| Annual | $36,490 | $60,360 | $105,910 | $108,940 | $108,940 | $87,400 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | $29.88 | $36.40 | $48.66 | $48.95 | $57.47 | $44.30 | 300 | 0.34 | 5.21 |
| Annual | $62,160 | $75,720 | $101,200 | $101,810 | $119,550 | $92,140 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $40.24 | $43.04 | $47.95 | $49.72 | $56.38 | $47.26 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $83,690 | $89,520 | $99,730 | $103,430 | $117,270 | $98,300 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $23.28 | $35.82 | $47.22 | $48.13 | $51.52 | $42.04 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $48,430 | $74,500 | $98,220 | $100,110 | $107,150 | $87,440 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $27.70 | $31.19 | $36.42 | $38.50 | $48.16 | $36.47 | 2,340 | 0.17 | 2.54 |
| Annual | $57,610 | $64,870 | $75,750 | $80,090 | $100,170 | $75,850 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $30.48 | $31.68 | $35.57 | $36.04 | $37.16 | $34.40 | 1,220 | 0.63 | 9.60 |
| Annual | $63,390 | $65,890 | $73,980 | $74,960 | $77,290 | $71,540 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $40.37 | $51.45 | $56.80 | $62.21 | $65.82 | $55.72 | 720 | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $83,960 | $107,010 | $118,150 | $129,390 | $136,900 | $115,900 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $29.13 | $31.09 | $40.76 | $57.83 | $65.64 | $45.13 | 410 | 0.04 | 0.65 |
| Annual | $60,590 | $64,660 | $84,770 | $120,290 | $136,540 | $93,870 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $23.10 | $28.27 | $33.55 | $34.22 | $35.00 | $31.34 | 400 | 0.04 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $48,040 | $58,800 | $69,790 | $71,180 | $72,800 | $65,190 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $42.57 | $56.54 | $65.05 | $74.85 | $78.25 | $63.70 | 50 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| Annual | $88,540 | $117,600 | $135,290 | $155,690 | $162,760 | $132,500 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $47.91 | $53.06 | $53.06 | $62.20 | $65.03 | $55.38 | 320 | 0.05 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $99,650 | $110,370 | $110,370 | $129,380 | $135,270 | $115,200 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $38.18 | $48.35 | $52.71 | $56.10 | $56.57 | $49.96 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.30 |
| Annual | $79,410 | $100,560 | $109,640 | $116,690 | $117,660 | $103,930 | ||||
| Toledo, OH | Hourly | $38.83 | $42.97 | $51.82 | $51.83 | $51.83 | $47.82 | 40 | 0.14 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $80,770 | $89,370 | $107,780 | $107,800 | $107,800 | $99,470 | ||||
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | Hourly | $28.54 | $36.10 | $51.34 | $56.46 | $56.46 | $45.06 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $59,360 | $75,100 | $106,790 | $117,430 | $117,430 | $93,730 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $28.31 | $32.16 | $37.06 | $38.76 | $48.23 | $37.10 | 1,170 | 0.36 | 5.43 |
| Annual | $58,880 | $66,890 | $77,090 | $80,620 | $100,310 | $77,170 | ||||
| Baton Rouge, LA | Hourly | $30.30 | $32.18 | $35.93 | $36.04 | $36.90 | $34.65 | 680 | 1.66 | 25.40 |
| Annual | $63,020 | $66,940 | $74,730 | $74,960 | $76,760 | $72,070 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $29.02 | $37.62 | $39.62 | $51.18 | $65.64 | $43.61 | 330 | 0.03 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $60,360 | $78,250 | $82,420 | $106,460 | $136,540 | $90,710 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $47.91 | $53.06 | $53.06 | $62.20 | $65.03 | $55.38 | 320 | 0.05 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $99,650 | $110,370 | $110,370 | $129,380 | $135,270 | $115,200 | ||||
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | Hourly | $26.00 | $31.19 | $35.13 | $38.64 | $49.81 | $35.99 | 230 | 1.40 | 21.39 |
| Annual | $54,080 | $64,870 | $73,060 | $80,370 | $103,600 | $74,850 | ||||
Top industries employing boilermakers
Utility System Construction employ 20.9% of boilermakers nationally (2,130 jobs) at a median $80,060 a year ($38.49 an hour), followed by Building Equipment Contractors (18.0%) and Nonresidential Building Construction (16.0%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utility System Construction NAICS 237100 | 2,130 | 20.9% | $80,060 | $38.49 |
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 1,830 | 18.0% | $73,150 | $35.17 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction NAICS 236200 | 1,630 | 16.0% | $74,960 | $36.04 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 840 | 8.2% | $61,780 | $29.70 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance NAICS 811300 | 740 | 7.3% | $76,510 | $36.78 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (10,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $64,290 for boilermakers in May 2021 and $76,410 in May 2025, with employment of 12,920 and 10,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $64,290 | $30.91 | 12,920 |
| May 2022 | $66,920 | $32.17 | 13,570 |
| May 2023 | $71,140 | $34.20 | 11,130 |
| May 2024 | $73,340 | $35.26 | 10,170 |
| May 2025 | $76,410 | $36.74 | 10,190 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
37 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | $56.80 | $118,150 | $83,960 | $136,900 | 720 | 0.04 | 0.61 |
| 2 | Mississippi profile | $50.92 | $105,910 | $36,490 | $108,940 | 280 | 0.24 | 3.65 |
| 3 | New Mexico profile | $48.66 | $101,200 | $62,160 | $119,550 | 300 | 0.34 | 5.21 |
| 4 | Illinois profile | $47.95 | $99,730 | $83,690 | $117,270 | 110 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| 5 | Michigan profile | $47.22 | $98,220 | $48,430 | $107,150 | ** | ** | ** |
| 6 | Wisconsin profile | $46.92 | $97,590 | $60,090 | $103,060 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.91 |
| 7 | Minnesota profile | $46.25 | $96,190 | $67,050 | $110,840 | 140 | 0.05 | 0.71 |
| 8 | Washington profile | $45.77 | $95,200 | $62,260 | $127,040 | 190 | 0.06 | 0.83 |
| 9 | Indiana profile | $43.95 | $91,410 | $63,450 | $116,690 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.81 |
| 10 | Colorado profile | $42.96 | $89,350 | $81,390 | $96,150 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.20 |
| 11 | Idaho profile | $42.50 | $88,400 | $70,010 | $118,560 | 70 | 0.08 | 1.17 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania profile | $41.75 | $86,850 | $60,380 | $104,360 | 260 | 0.04 | 0.65 |
| 13 | Ohio profile | $41.13 | $85,550 | $48,120 | $105,440 | 300 | 0.06 | 0.84 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $41.09 | $85,470 | $42,210 | $97,100 | 60 | 0.09 | 1.29 |
| 15 | New York profile | $40.76 | $84,770 | $60,590 | $136,540 | 410 | 0.04 | 0.65 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | $39.65 | $82,470 | $64,030 | $88,280 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
| 17 | New Jersey profile | $39.62 | $82,410 | $49,010 | $115,270 | 280 | 0.07 | 1.01 |
| 18 | Connecticut profile | $38.64 | $80,360 | $37,450 | $94,910 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.43 |
| 19 | Missouri profile | $37.76 | $78,550 | $49,450 | $124,790 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.52 |
| 20 | Arizona profile | $37.47 | $77,940 | $63,450 | $84,160 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.82 |
| 21 | Wyoming profile | $37.45 | $77,900 | $49,900 | $153,230 | 30 | 0.11 | 1.71 |
| 22 | Oklahoma profile | $37.38 | $77,750 | $46,200 | $85,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 23 | Arkansas profile | $36.93 | $76,810 | $60,790 | $114,130 | 50 | 0.04 | 0.57 |
| 24 | Texas profile | $36.42 | $75,750 | $57,610 | $100,170 | 2,340 | 0.17 | 2.54 |
| 25 | South Carolina profile | $35.98 | $74,840 | $71,800 | $77,000 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | Kentucky profile | $35.97 | $74,810 | $59,760 | $87,920 | 150 | 0.07 | 1.11 |
| 27 | Louisiana profile | $35.57 | $73,980 | $63,390 | $77,290 | 1,220 | 0.63 | 9.60 |
| 28 | Kansas profile | $34.70 | $72,170 | $56,290 | $96,230 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.70 |
| 29 | Florida profile | $33.55 | $69,790 | $48,040 | $72,800 | 400 | 0.04 | 0.62 |
| 30 | Virginia profile | $32.47 | $67,540 | $41,350 | $78,520 | 150 | 0.04 | 0.56 |
| 31 | Georgia profile | $30.86 | $64,200 | $43,180 | $81,700 | ** | ** | ** |
| 32 | West Virginia profile | $30.70 | $63,850 | $38,630 | $92,080 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.70 |
| 33 | Alabama profile | $30.56 | $63,570 | $48,290 | $79,400 | 180 | 0.09 | 1.29 |
| 34 | Nevada profile | $29.53 | $61,430 | $54,200 | $93,480 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.67 |
| 35 | Tennessee profile | $24.91 | $51,810 | $47,130 | $110,660 | 180 | 0.05 | 0.83 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $23.90 | $49,720 | $40,900 | $79,770 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
| 37 | Maryland profile | $20.31 | $42,250 | $34,450 | $73,840 | 30 | 0.01 | 0.19 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-2011 Boilermakers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.