Boilermakers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for boilermakers in the U.S. is $76,410 ($36.74 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $76,410
- Mean annual wage
- $80,090
- Median hourly wage
- $36.74
- Employment
- 10,190
10,190 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $50,490 | $24.28 |
| 25th percentile | $64,760 | $31.13 |
| Median (50th) | $76,410 | $36.74 |
| 75th percentile | $95,430 | $45.88 |
| 90th percentile | $110,370 | $53.06 |
Highest-paying states for boilermakers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $118,150 | 720 |
| Mississippi | $105,910 | 280 |
| New Mexico | $101,200 | 300 |
| Illinois | $99,730 | 110 |
| Michigan | $98,220 | — |
| Wisconsin | $97,590 | 170 |
| Minnesota | $96,190 | 140 |
| Washington | $95,200 | 190 |
| Indiana | $91,410 | 170 |
| Colorado | $89,350 | 40 |
Lowest-paying states
- Maryland: $42,250 median annual wage
- North Carolina: $49,720 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $51,810 median annual wage
- Nevada: $61,430 median annual wage
- Alabama: $63,570 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Bolt or arc weld pressure vessel structures and parts together, using wrenches or welding equipment.
- Clean pressure vessel equipment, using scrapers, wire brushes, and cleaning solvents.
- 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.
- Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers.
- 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.
- Assemble large vessels in an on-site fabrication shop prior to installation to ensure proper fit.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 12.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 47.0% |
| Some college, no degree | 21.2% |
| Associate's degree | 13.0% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.7% |
| Master's degree | 0.6% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.0% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.