Boilermakers: Salary Overview
Boilermakers assemble, install, and maintain closed vats and other vessels that contain liquids or gases.
Their job responsibilities include reading blueprints, installing pre-made boilers, assembling boiler tanks, testing and inspecting boiler systems, cleaning vats, and repairing or replacing broken valves using welding equipment.
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for boilermakers was $63,100 in May 2019.
Salaries in this field vary based on industry, level of experience, and education but also based on region, employer, and a variety of other factors.
The highest 10 percent of boilermakers earned more than $94,440 while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,840.
Boilermaker Salary by Level of Experience
Entry-level boilermakers and apprentices with less than 1-2 years of experience typically earn a salary that is close to the minimum for this profession but numbers vary depending on the industry of employment.
Boilermakers with 2-5 years of experience can expect to earn somewhere close to the 25% percentile which is, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, $51,160 a year.
Skilled senior-level employees who have between 10-15 years of experience in the field can expect to earn somewhere in the range of $75,000-$80,000 a year.
Boilermaker Salary by Industry
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, boilermakers held about 14,500 jobs in 2018, 18% of them being employed in the field of utility system construction.
The industry of nonresidential building construction hired 16% of boilermakers and 11% of them worked for fabricated metal product manufacturing.
The highest paying industry was petroleum and coal products manufacturing which paid boilermakers an average of $85,880 a year.
However, boilermakers held only 120 jobs in this field so it may be hard to find a job at a petroleum or coal product manufacturer.
The field of utility system construction paid boilermakers, on average, $65,700.
Boilermakers who work for building equipment contractors earned a mean annual wage of $73,610 while those who work in the field of nonresidential building construction earned $66,870 a year, on average, as of May 2019.
Fabricated metal product manufacturers paid boilermakers an average salary of $59,470 a year while annual salaries in the field of commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance were, on average, around $59,150.
In each one of these fields salaries are also influenced by the employee’s level of experience and the region.
Experienced and highly-skilled boilermakers who work in the field of product manufacturing, for example, may earn more than entry-level boilermakers who find employment in the field of building equipment construction.
Boilermaker Salary by Compensation Structure
Boilermakers may be paid a fixed salary or by the hour.
Some employers also offer bonuses and profit sharing to their employees and boilermakers can make anywhere between less than $500 and more than $15,000 in profit sharing and up to $10,000 a year in bonuses.
Boilermakers may also receive other benefits, such as health and life insurance, paid leave, and vacation days but the exact compensation package varies depending on the employer and the industry of employment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for boilermakers is projected to grow by 6 percent from 2018 to 2028 about as fast as the average for all occupations.
They will continue to be needed to maintain existing boilers and to replace worn parts but also to install new equipment, including boilers, pollution abatement equipment, and pressure vessels.
So, if you want to start a career in this field your job prospects are expected to be good, especially if you have a diploma from a trade school and several years of experience in the field.
However, the numbers of jobs available in this field are also sensitive to fluctuations in the economy and the region so if you want to start a career in this field, you should first check your local job market.
* Based on information from the May 2021 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Boilermakers. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.