What You Need to Know About Boilermaker
Job Description: 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.
Daily Life Of a Boilermaker
- Install manholes, handholes, taps, tubes, valves, gauges, or feedwater connections in drums of water tube boilers, using hand tools.
- Locate and mark reference points for columns or plates on boiler foundations, following blueprints and using straightedges, squares, transits, or measuring instruments.
- Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
- Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
- Bolt or arc weld pressure vessel structures and parts together, using wrenches or welding equipment.
- Assemble large vessels in an on-site fabrication shop prior to installation to ensure proper fit.
Boilermaker Required Skills
Boilermakers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Equipment Maintenance: Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Manufacturing Assembler
- Boilermaker Pipe Fitter
- Boiler Setter
- Boilermaker Helper
- Assembler
Is There Job Demand for Boilermakers?
There were about 17,200 jobs for Boilermaker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 8.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,500 new jobs for Boilermaker by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 1,900 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Boilermaker are Arizona, Connecticut, and Nevada. Watch out if you plan on working in Mississippi, Idaho, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Boilermaker
The salary for Boilermakers ranges between about $37,610 and $89,940 a year.
Boilermakers who work in Kentucky, North Dakota, or Pennsylvania, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Boilermakers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $56,540 |
| Arizona | $60,740 |
| Arkansas | $47,500 |
| California | $70,120 |
| Colorado | $70,520 |
| Connecticut | $68,250 |
| Florida | $59,240 |
| Georgia | $62,070 |
| Illinois | $69,030 |
| Indiana | $71,600 |
| Kentucky | $76,340 |
| Louisiana | $60,720 |
| Maryland | $61,910 |
| Massachusetts | $64,610 |
| Michigan | $71,930 |
| Minnesota | $64,360 |
| Missouri | $51,420 |
| Montana | $65,250 |
| Nebraska | $76,620 |
| Nevada | $38,930 |
| New Jersey | $68,640 |
| New Mexico | $60,310 |
| New York | $69,820 |
| North Carolina | $62,370 |
| North Dakota | $81,500 |
| Ohio | $71,840 |
| Oklahoma | $54,610 |
| Oregon | $61,350 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,380 |
| South Carolina | $60,590 |
| Tennessee | $66,380 |
| Texas | $57,480 |
| Utah | $60,290 |
| Virginia | $57,310 |
| Washington | $65,900 |
| West Virginia | $68,270 |
| Wisconsin | $58,020 |
| Wyoming | $69,440 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Boilermakers
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Boilermakers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Windows
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Computer aided design CAD software
- SAP software
How to Become a Boilermaker
Individuals working as a Boilermaker have obtained the following education levels:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Boilermaker?
Where Boilermakers Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Boilermakers employed by various industries.
Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Boilermaker may also be interested in:
Those who work as a Boilermaker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Phasmatisnox via Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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