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The national median salary for Boilermakers is $76,419 per year ($36.74/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $64,750 and $95,430 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $110,365 per year. There are approximately 10,190 boilermakers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries. Align structures or plate sections to assemble boiler frame tanks or vats, following blueprints. Work involves use of hand and power tools, plumb bobs, levels, wedges, dogs, or turnbuckles. Assist in testing assembled vessels. Direct cleaning of boilers and boiler furnaces. Inspect and repair boiler fittings, such as safety valves, regulators, automatic-control mechanisms, water columns, and auxiliary machines.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.4%
Slower than average
Annual openings
800
per year, on avg
Workforce today
10K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Apprenticeship
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Utility System Construction
NAICS 237100
2K
$80,060
Building Equipment Contractors
NAICS 238200
2K
$73,150
Nonresidential Building Construction
NAICS 236200
2K
$74,960
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)
NAICS 3320A2
840
$61,780
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance
NAICS 811300
740
$76,510
Wage range across top 5 industries: $61,780 to $80,060 (30% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$24.28
$50,502
P25
$31.13
$64,750
P50MEDIAN
$36.74
$76,419
P75
$45.88
$95,430
P90
$53.06
$110,365
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average boilermakers salary?
The national median salary for Boilermakers is $76,419 per year ($36.74/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $64,750 and $95,430 annually.
How much do top-earning boilermakers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Boilermakers is $110,365 per year ($53.06/hr). The 75th percentile is $95,430 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for boilermakers?
Entry-level Boilermakers (10th percentile) earn approximately $50,502 per year ($24.28/hr). The 25th percentile is $64,750 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.