Boilermakers Salary: $111,607 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 10,170 boilermakers nationally earn a mean of $111,607. Employment in the series shown rose about 146% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.8% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Boilermakers: what the data shows
Common questions about boilermakers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a boilermakers?
Boilermakers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 47-2011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 10,170 workers.
What does a boilermakers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a boilermakers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $73,340 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $111,607 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $76,885 |
| 25th percentile | $110,608 |
| Median (50th) | $110,763 |
| 75th percentile | $125,833 |
| 90th percentile | $130,754 |
What education do you need?
For Boilermakers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, Quality Control Analysis, Troubleshooting, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Design, Building and Construction, Production and Processing. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is boilermakers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.8% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 3.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 7.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 10,170.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do boilermakerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 10,170 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 9,670 | 18.4% |
| Construction | 6,990 | 13.3% |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | 3,090 | 5.9% |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | 2,550 | 4.9% |
| Utility System Construction | 2,370 | 4.5% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Boilermakers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Boilermakers workforce.
Employment Over Time
10,170 Workforce in 2023
The Boilermakers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Boilermakers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$111,607 Average Wage
In 2023, Boilermakers earned an average of $111,607.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Boilermakers.
Salary distribution for Boilermakers.
Employment Growth Projections
0.8% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,181 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 3.9%
2,265 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 7.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.8% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Boilermakers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Boilermakers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Boilermakers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Boilermakers.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 46.6% growth (Current: $127,980)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Boilermakers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Boilermakers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 2,440 employees, $69,880 avg wage
- LA: 1,620 employees, $78,400 avg wage
- CA: 690 employees, $108,420 avg wage
- MI: 500 employees, $67,140 avg wage
- PA: 460 employees, $87,140 avg wage
- NJ: 310 employees, $83,140 avg wage
- KY: 300 employees, $73,400 avg wage
- TN: 290 employees, $61,740 avg wage
- MS: 250 employees, N/A avg wage
- AL: 240 employees, $63,290 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Boilermakers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 1,120 employees, $69,180 avg wage
- Baton Rouge, LA: 1,100 employees, $82,270 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 400 employees, $107,690 avg wage
- Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX: 300 employees, $66,020 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 240 employees, $88,320 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 190 employees, $85,380 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 160 employees, $90,200 avg wage
- New Orleans-Metairie, LA: 120 employees, $74,010 avg wage
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 110 employees, $61,450 avg wage
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 110 employees, $62,780 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Boilermakers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Boilermakers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Boilermakers in 2023 was 10,170 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Boilermakers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Boilermakers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Boilermakers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Boilermakers in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Boilermakers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Boilermakers workers.
Education level distribution for Boilermakers.
Skills
Boilermakers need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Equipment Maintenance, Quality Control Analysis.
Required skills for Boilermakers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Boilermakers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Boilermakers include Mathematics, Design, Building and Construction, Production and Processing, Mechanical.
Knowledge areas required for Boilermakers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Boilermakers include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Finger Dexterity, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Boilermakers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Boilermakers.
Daily Activities
Boilermakers spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Performing General Physical Activities, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment.
Most important work activities for Boilermakers.
About
Boilermakers
The average yearly wage for Boilermakers was $111,607 in 2023.
SOC Code
47-2011 - Boilermakers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Boilermakers reports an average salary of $111,607, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 10,170 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.8%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.