The median annual wage for stationary engineers and boiler operators was $58,530 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 $35,400, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $91,260.
In May 2015, the median annual wages for stationary engineers and boiler operators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Real estate
$68,750
State and local government, excluding education and hospitals
62,770
General medical and surgical hospitals; private
59,290
Junior colleges, colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private
54,820
Manufacturing
54,560
Most stationary engineers and boiler operators work full time during regular business hours. In facilities that operate around the clock, engineers and operators usually work one of three 8-hour shifts on a rotating basis. Because buildings such as hospitals are open 365 days a year and depend on the steam generated by boilers and other machines, many of these workers must work weekends and holidays.
Union Membership
Compared with workers in all occupations, stationary engineers and boiler operators had a higher percentage of workers who belonged to a union in 2014.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Median annual wages, May 2015
Stationary engineers and boiler operators
$58,530
Plant and system operators
$57,160
Total, all occupations
$36,200
Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics