Mark out the steel
Reading the blueprint, you use an L-shaped square to mark the steel where each plate should sit.
Career profile
Boilermaker
Boilermakers build and fix boilers, storage tanks and other containers for pressurized liquid or gas.
If you like turning a plan on paper into parts that fit together, this job does it with huge industrial equipment.
A day in the life
Move a heavy section
You hook a boiler section to the crane, then signal the operator as it moves into place.
Fit and join the pieces
You trim rough edges so pieces meet properly, line them up, then bolt or weld them together.
Track down failing parts
You check valves, tubes and walls for leaks or damage, then fix or replace the bad parts.
Quick facts
High school + apprenticeship
United States
$76,410/year
United States · May 2025
1.8% decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + apprenticeshipA diploma or equivalent is the usual starting point; you learn the trade through work and classes.
Pay
$76,410/yearNational median employee wage, equivalent to $36.74 an hour.
Outlook
1.8% declineAbout 700 openings a year are projected nationally despite declining employment.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like checking a drawing against something you can measure and handle.
- You can stay patient while parts are adjusted to fit.
- You enjoy work that depends on clear signals between coworkers.
Things to weigh
- The work can put you in cramped, noisy spaces or outdoors at height. Protective equipment is part of the day.
- Field contracts can mean extended time away from home and gaps between jobs.
Where AI may help
Automatic welding equipment can join boiler sections; some assembly already uses it.
What people still lead
People still fit parts and repair existing equipment by hand.
What we can’t predict yet
How much welding equipment can take over will depend partly on whether it can reach and handle the particular joint.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the national median as a comparison point, not an apprentice pay offer.
The national range
The median was $76,410 a year, or $36.74 an hour. The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread was $50,490–$110,370 annually, or $24.28–$53.06 hourly. These describe the wage distribution, not starting and senior rates.
Hours matter
Shutdown work can bring overtime, while a finished contract can leave a gap in employment. Both affect what you earn over a year.
Openings despite a decline
Employment is projected to fall 1.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 700 openings annually as workers leave the occupation or workforce.
Getting started
Learn through a paid apprenticeship
The national union program spans four years.Paid
- What the route involves
- Combine supervised field work with classes in welding, drawings, and lifting equipment. The Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program requires at least 6,000 field construction hours and 576 classroom hours.
- What it can lead to
- Completing the program leads to journey-level work as a field-construction boilermaker.
- What to check
- For this program, you must be at least 18 and have a high school diploma or equivalent. Selection prioritizes welding qualifications; meeting the minimums does not guarantee a place.
Bring experience from another trade
- What the route involves
- Build relevant experience in welding, machining, or rigging, then ask a Boilermakers union local to assess your skills for field-construction work.
- What it can lead to
- Experienced construction workers may qualify for jobs where union boilermakers work. Acceptance depends on your skills; related experience alone is not a job offer.
Apprenticeship is the usual route. Existing construction-trade skills can also support entry.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Build reliable habits in reading drawings, laying out parts, and using the crew’s lifting signals.
Handle more complex lifts
Deepen your rigging skills: recognize worn lifting gear, read capacity charts, and understand how a load’s weight is distributed.
Move toward crew leadership
Field-leadership training can support a move into supervising work. With substantial supervisory experience, project-management training offers a further direction.
Where you can work
Large-vessel installation sites
You work around cranes and staged steel sections as a vessel takes shape. Outdoor conditions and work at height can shape the day.
- Field work
- Outdoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Industrial shutdown projects
At refineries and other process plants, you join several trades repairing existing equipment. Access constraints and the planned restart make coordination especially important.
- Field work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Sketch a paper cylinder with two end caps and a marked access opening. Give it dimensions, then use paper, a ruler, and tape to build it. Notice whether you enjoy working out where the seams and parts must meet.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper model; do not heat or pressurize it.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. 47-2011.00 — Boilermakers. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational Outlook Handbook — Boilermakers. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — national estimates; pinned SOC 47-2011 binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Projections Table 1.2, 2025–2035; pinned SOC 47-2011 binding. Accessed 2026-09-29.
- Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program. How to Apply. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program. What We Do. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. Apprenticeship Program. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. How to Become a Boilermaker. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- MOST Trust. Training Programs. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- Babcock & Wilcox. Turnaround Services. Accessed 2026-10-09.