Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.
National median · BLS
$78,620
▲ +4.56%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$83,960
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
28,250
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$50,590
25th
$63,160
Median (50th)
$78,620
75th
$101,150
90th — top pay
$125,390
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
BLS projects employment of stationary engineers and boiler operators to grow 3.1% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 3,200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
31,200 → 32,200
+1,000 jobs
Projected change
+3.1%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
3,200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salaries by state
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
Profile
Skills & tools
Skills needed for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Top skills
Operations Monitoring4.0
Operation and Control3.4
Active Listening3.3
Critical Thinking3.3
Equipment Maintenance3.3
Repairing3.3
Troubleshooting3.3
Active Learning3.1
Complex Problem Solving3.1
Coordination3.1
Top knowledge areas
Mechanical4.1
Chemistry3.4
Public Safety and Security3.3
Physics3.2
Engineering and Technology3.2
English Language3.1
Computers and Electronics3.1
Mathematics3.1
Software and technology used
Microsoft Active Server Pages ASPMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordSAP softwareBuilding management system softwareComputerized maintenance management system CMMSDatabase softwareEmail softwareGraphics softwareOperational Data Store ODS softwareStatistical softwareWeb browser software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What stationary engineers and boiler operators do
Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools.
Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners.
Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.
Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.
Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.
Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.
Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits.
Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely.
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Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $78,620.
