Boilermaker

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.

On the job, you would:

Attach rigging and signal crane or hoist operators to lift heavy frame and plate sections or other parts into place.
Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
Repair or replace defective pressure vessel parts, such as safety valves or regulators, using torches, jacks, caulking hammers, power saws, threading dies, welding equipment, or metalworking machinery.

Important Qualities

Mechanical skills. Boilermakers use and maintain a variety of equipment, such as hoists and welding machines.

Physical stamina. Boilermakers spend many hours on their feet while lifting heavy boiler components.

Physical strength. Boilermakers must be able to move heavy vat components into place.

Unafraid of confined spaces. Boilermakers often work inside boilers and vats.

Unafraid of heights. Some boilermakers work at great heights. While installing water storage tanks, for example, workers may need to weld tanks several stories above the ground.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		85%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		85%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		77%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		74%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		71%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		69%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		67%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		66%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
		63%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		63%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		62%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		60%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		59%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		57%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		55%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		100%	Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		67%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
		56%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		72%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		72%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		72%	Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
		72%	Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
		72%	Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
		69%	Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
		69%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		66%	Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
		63%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		60%	Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
		60%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		60%	Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
		56%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		56%	Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
		53%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		53%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.

Weld metal components.

Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.

Maintain mechanical equipment.

Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.

Signal equipment operators to indicate proper equipment positioning.

Weld metal components.

Mark reference points on construction materials.

Install gauges or controls.

Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.

Fabricate parts or components.

Install metal structural components.

Position structural components.

Measure materials or objects for installation or assembly.

Mark reference points on construction materials.

Fabricate parts or components.

Clean equipment or facilities.

Install masonry materials.

Assemble products or production equipment.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		97%	Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets?
		92%	Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
		91%	Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
		91%	Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
		85%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
		85%	Exposed to Hazardous Equipment - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
		84%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		83%	Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
		83%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		81%	Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
		81%	Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
		81%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		79%	Outdoors, Exposed to Weather - How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
		78%	Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions - How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
		78%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		77%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		76%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		73%	Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting - How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
		72%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		72%	Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running?
		72%	Exposed to High Places - How often does this job require exposure to high places?
		71%	Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection - How much does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
		71%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		70%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		69%	Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
		69%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		67%	Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)?
		67%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		66%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		64%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		64%	Level of Competition - To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
		62%	Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body - How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
		61%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		59%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
		56%	Outdoors, Under Cover - How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (e.g., structure with roof but no walls)?
		52%	Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment - How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
		67%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		89%	Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
		89%	Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
		86%	Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
		85%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		83%	Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
		81%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		81%	Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
		80%	Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
		77%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		75%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		75%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		73%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
		73%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		73%	Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
		72%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		71%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		71%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		66%	Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment - Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
		65%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		62%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		60%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
		59%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		59%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		57%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		56%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
		56%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		55%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		53%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

What Boilermakers Do

Boilermakers install and maintain boiler systems.

Boilermakers assemble, install, maintain, and repair boilers, closed vats, and other large vessels or containers that hold liquids and gases.

Duties

Boilermakers typically do the following:

Read blueprints to determine locations, positions, and dimensions of boiler parts
Install small, premade boilers in buildings and manufacturing facilities
Lay out prefabricated parts of large boilers before assembling them
Assemble boiler tanks, often using robotic or automatic welders
Test and inspect boiler systems for leaks or defects
Clean vats with scrapers, wire brushes, and cleaning solvents
Replace or repair broken valves, pipes, or joints, using hand and power tools, gas torches, and welding equipment

Boilers, tanks, and vats are used in many buildings, factories, and ships. Boilers heat water or other fluids under extreme pressure to generate electric power and to provide heat. Large tanks and vats are used to process and store chemicals, oil, beer, and hundreds of other products.

Boilers are made of steel, iron, copper, or stainless steel. Most manufacturers have automated the production of boilers for improved quality. However, boilermakers still assemble and maintain boilers manually. For example, they often use hand and power tools and flame-cutting torches to align, cut, and shape pieces for a boiler. Boilermakers also use plumb bobs, levels, wedges, and turnbuckles to align pieces.

During a boiler installation, boilermakers align boilerplates and boiler parts, using metalworking machinery and other tools to remove irregular edges so that the parts fit together properly. If the plate sections are very large, boilermakers signal crane operators to lift the plates into place. Boilermakers then join the plates and parts by bolting, welding, and riveting them together.

Boilermakers may help erect and repair air pollution abatement equipment, blast furnaces, water treatment plants, storage and process tanks, and smokestacks. Boilermakers also install refractory brick and other heat-resistant materials in fireboxes or pressure vessels. Some install and maintain the huge pipes used in dams to send water to and from hydroelectric power generation turbines.

During regular maintenance, boilermakers inspect systems and their components, including safety and check valves, water and pressure gauges, and boiler controls. They also clean boilers and boiler furnaces and repair and replace parts, as needed.

Work Environment

Boilermakers held about 13,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of boilermakers were as follows:

Utility system construction	18%
Nonresidential building construction	16
Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors	14
Fabricated metal product manufacturing	6
Other building equipment contractors	2

Boilermakers do physically demanding work in cramped spaces inside boilers, vats, or tanks that are often dark, damp, noisy, and poorly ventilated. They frequently work outdoors in all types of weather, including extreme heat and cold.

Because dams, boilers, storage tanks, and pressure vessels are large, boilermakers frequently work at great heights. For example, they may be hundreds of feet above the ground when working on a dam.

Injuries and Illnesses

The work that boilermakers do can be dangerous. Workers must follow specific safety procedures to avoid injuries and illnesses and must be mindful of potential dangers to themselves and their coworkers. To reduce the risk of injury, boilermakers wear hardhats, earplugs, safety glasses, and other protective equipment. When working in enclosed spaces, boilermakers often wear a respirator.

Work Schedules

Most boilermakers work full time, and work schedules may vary. Boilermakers may experience extended periods of overtime when equipment is shut down for maintenance or repair, or when necessary to meet construction or production deadlines. In contrast, because most field construction and repair is contract work, there may be periods of unemployment upon completion of a contract.

Boilermakers may travel to worksites and be away from home for extended periods.

Getting Started

Education:

39%

Less than a High School Diploma

38%

Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

How to Become a Boilermaker

Candidates have a better chance to be accepted into training programs if they have welding experience.

Most boilermakers learn their trade through an apprenticeship program.

Education

A high school diploma or equivalent is generally required.

Training

Boilermakers typically learn their trade through an apprenticeship program. During training, workers learn how to use boilermaker tools and equipment on the job. They also learn about metals and installation techniques, blueprint reading and sketching, safety practices, and other topics.

Apprenticeship programs typically last 4 years. When boilermakers finish an apprenticeship, they are considered to be journey-level workers. A few groups, including unions and contractor associations, sponsor apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeship applicants who have previous welding or other related experience, such as through the military, may have priority over applicants without experience. In addition, those with experience or education may qualify for a shortened apprenticeship.

Some boilermakers enter apprenticeships after working as pipefitters, millwrights, sheet metal workers, or welders. The core training for these occupations is similar to the training for boilermakers.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Some states require boilermakers to have a license; check with your state for more information. Licensure requirements typically include work experience and passing an exam.

Employers may require or prefer that boilermakers hold certification from the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). Welding certifications may also be helpful.

Job Outlook

Employment of boilermakers is projected to decline 4 percent from 2022 to 2032.

Despite declining employment, about 1,100 openings for boilermakers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

Boilers typically last for decades, but there will be an ongoing need for boilermakers to replace and maintain parts, such as boiler tubes, heating elements, and ductwork. Boilermakers will also continue to be needed to install new equipment, including boilers, pressure vessels, air pollution abatement equipment, and storage and process tanks.

However, the shift away from coal-fired electricity generation will reduce the need for boilermakers. Renewable photovoltaic and wind generation systems do not have boilers, and natural gas plants require less ongoing boiler maintenance than coal plants.

Contacts for More Information

For information about apprenticeships or job opportunities as a boilermaker, contact local boiler construction contractors; a local chapter of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers; a local joint union–management apprenticeship committee; or the nearest office of your state employment service or apprenticeship agency. Apprenticeship information is available from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Apprenticeship program online, or by phone at 877-872-5627. Visit Apprenticeship.gov to search for apprenticeship opportunities.

For more information about apprenticeship and training, visit

Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program

International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers

For more information about certification, visit

National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)

For information about welding certification, visit

American Welding Society

For information about opportunities for former military service members, visit:

Helmet to Hardhats

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of boilermakers.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Assemblers and Fabricators	Assemblers and fabricators build finished products and the parts that go into them.	High school diploma or equivalent	$37,930
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators	Stationary engineers and boiler operators control stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment.	High school diploma or equivalent	$67,120
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products.	High school diploma or equivalent	$47,540
Machinists and Tool and Die Makers	Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate equipment to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.	See How to Become One	$49,560
Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights	Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights install, maintain, and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery.	High school diploma or equivalent	$59,470
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters	Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems.	High school diploma or equivalent	$60,090
Sheet Metal Workers	Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products that are made from thin metal sheets.	High school diploma or equivalent	$55,350
Insulation Workers	Insulation workers install and replace the materials used to insulate buildings or mechanical systems.	See How to Become One	$47,980
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers	Elevator and escalator installers and repairers install, maintain, and fix elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lifts.	High school diploma or equivalent	$99,000
Ironworkers	Ironworkers install structural and reinforcing iron and steel to form and support buildings, bridges, and roads.	High school diploma or equivalent	$58,330