Boilermakers Salary
Construction and Extraction Occupations · 10K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$76,410
Median hourly
$37
Average annual
$80,090
Typical range
$50,490–$110,370
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Boilermakers is $76,410 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $37 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $50,490 and $110,370 a year. There are roughly 10K people employed as boilermakers in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Boilermakers.
- Hourly
- $36.74
- Daily
- $294
- Weekly
- $1,469
- Bi-weekly
- $2,939
- Monthly
- $6,368
- Annual
- $76,410
$76,410 a year is around the 50th percentile for Boilermakerss. The median is $76,410.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1California$118,150
- 2Mississippi$105,910
- 3New Mexico$101,200
- 4Illinois$99,730
- 5Michigan$98,220
- 6Wisconsin$97,590
- 7Minnesota$96,190
- 8Washington$95,200
- 9Indiana$91,410
- 10Colorado$89,350
- 11Idaho$88,400
- 12Pennsylvania$86,850
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$135,290
- 2Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$110,370
- 3Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$109,640
- 4Toledo, OH$107,780
- 5Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$106,790
- 6Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$105,430
- 7Farmington, NM$101,250
- 8Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$100,110
- 9St. Louis, MO-IL$94,640
- 10Pittsburgh, PA$91,420
- 11Cleveland, OH$90,980
- 12Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$86,910
Related job titles
Employers advertise Boilermakers roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$63,800
- Millwrights$65,700
- Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$42,360
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$53,710
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,920
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380
What a Boilermakers does
- Attach rigging and signal crane or hoist operators to lift heavy frame and plate sections or other parts into place.
- Shape or fabricate parts, such as stacks, uptakes, or chutes, to adapt pressure vessels, heat exchangers, or piping to premises, using heavy-metalworking machines such as brakes, rolls, or drill presses.
- Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
- Straighten or reshape bent pressure vessel plates or structure parts, using hammers, jacks, or torches.
- Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
- Bolt or arc weld pressure vessel structures and parts together, using wrenches or welding equipment.
- Install manholes, handholes, taps, tubes, valves, gauges, or feedwater connections in drums of water tube boilers, using hand tools.
- Assemble large vessels in an on-site fabrication shop prior to installation to ensure proper fit.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Boilermakers make?
- The median annual wage for Boilermakers is $76,410 ($37 per hour). Pay ranges from about $50,490 at the 10th percentile to $110,370 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Boilermakers?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $80,090, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Boilermakerss the most?
- California has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $118,150.
- Is Boilermakers a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 10K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Boilermakers do?
- Attach rigging and signal crane or hoist operators to lift heavy frame and plate sections or other parts into place.; Shape or fabricate parts, such as stacks, uptakes, or chutes, to adapt pressure vessels, heat exchangers, or piping to premises, using heavy-metalworking machines such as brakes, rolls, or drill presses.; Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates..