How much does a stationary engineers and boiler operator make?

The median pay is $37.80 per hour — roughly $78,500 a year, with the real range running from about $24.32/hr (10th percentile) to $60.28/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a stationary engineers and boiler operator?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a stationary engineers and boiler operator actually do all day?

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.

Manufacturing & Production

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

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.

What it pays
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators earn a median of $37.80/hr — about $78,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $24.32/hr; the top 10% earn $60.28/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually 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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 3.1% of stationary engineers and boiler operators are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.

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Quick questions

How much does a stationary engineers and boiler operator make?: The median pay is $37.80 per hour — roughly $78,500 a year, with the real range running from about $24.32/hr (10th percentile) to $60.28/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a stationary engineers and boiler operator?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a stationary engineers and boiler operator actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.