The median annual wage for boilermakers was $60,120 in May 2015.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $36,810, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $86,290.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for boilermakers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Building equipment contractors
$65,040
Utility system construction
62,190
Fabricated metal product manufacturing
48,680
Apprentices usually start at about 60 percent of the rate paid to fully trained boilermakers. They receive pay increases as they learn to do more tasks.
Nearly all boilermakers work full time and may experience extended periods of overtime when equipment is shut down for maintenance. Overtime work also may be necessary to meet construction or production deadlines, especially during the spring and fall seasons, when many power plants receive routine maintenance. In contrast, because most field construction and repair work is contract work, there may be periods of unemployment when a contract is complete. There may be periods of unemployment during the winter and summer, when major maintenance is complete.
Many boilermakers must travel to worksites and live away from home for long periods.