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The national median salary for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators is $78,624 per year ($37.80/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $63,170 and $101,150 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $125,382 per year. There are approximately 28,250 stationary engineers and boiler operators employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+2.2%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
4K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
33K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% 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
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
5K
$81,760
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
3K
$106,580
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
3K
$75,030
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
2K
$78,340
Traveler Accommodation
NAICS 721100
2K
$54,880
Wage range across top 5 industries: $54,880 to $106,580 (94% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$24.32
$50,586
P25
$30.37
$63,170
P50MEDIAN
$37.80
$78,624
P75
$48.63
$101,150
P90
$60.28
$125,382
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 stationary engineers and boiler operators salary?
The national median salary for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators is $78,624 per year ($37.80/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $63,170 and $101,150 annually.
How much do top-earning stationary engineers and boiler operators make?
The 90th percentile salary for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators is $125,382 per year ($60.28/hr). The 75th percentile is $101,150 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for stationary engineers and boiler operators?
Entry-level Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators (10th percentile) earn approximately $50,586 per year ($24.32/hr). The 25th percentile is $63,170 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.