Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators earn an average annual salary of $84,089, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. While facing some shifts, the field is adapting to changes in the job market. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators workforce.
Employment Over Time
7,800 Workforce in 2023
The Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$84,089 Average Wage
In 2023, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators earned an average of $84,089.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Salary distribution for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Employment Growth Projections
7.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
43,703 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 41.8%
61,971 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 101.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Wage Trends by Industry
14.2% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 7,260 employees, $84,932 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,890 employees, $79,183 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 750 employees, $112,810 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 710 employees, $70,185 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 680 employees, $71,592 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 610 employees, $86,572 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 540 employees, $73,060 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 470 employees, $106,508 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 330 employees, $108,640 avg wage
- Salinas MSA: 160 employees, $70,813 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 150 employees, $81,370 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Diversity
Demographic information on Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators in 2023 was 7,800 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
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 Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators in 2023 were Engineering, Mathematics, Physics.
Common majors for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators workers.
Education level distribution for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Skills
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Troubleshooting, Repairing, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators include Mechanical, Chemistry, Public Safety and Security, Physics, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Perceptual Speed.
Required abilities for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
Daily Activities
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators spend their time on activities such as Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Controlling Machines and Processes, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.
Most important work activities for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators.
About
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
The average yearly wage for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators was $84,089 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-8021 - Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators reports an average salary of $84,089.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 7,800 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.2%, 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.