Boilermakers
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.
BLS SOC 47-2011 · O*NET-SOC 47-2011.00 · BLS 2025–2035 · O*NET 31.0
Median annual wage, 2025
$76,410
Projected change, 2025–2035
-1.8%
2025–2035 annual average openings
700
AI exposure
Low
Editorial analysis
AI can inspect the image. It cannot crawl inside the vessel and make the repair.
Boilermakers work on large industrial equipment where failure can carry serious safety and economic consequences. AI can assist through predictive maintenance, image analysis, corrosion detection, sensor monitoring, planning, and inspection records.
Knowing where to inspect is valuable
Industrial facilities can collect temperature, pressure, vibration, thickness, and operational data over long periods. AI may help identify equipment or locations that deserve closer inspection before a visible failure occurs.
- Inspection data can be analyzed for developing damage patterns.
- Drones or robotic systems may inspect dangerous or inaccessible areas.
- Maintenance planning can become more predictive.
- Fabrication, fitting, welding, rigging, disassembly, repair, and working safely in confined industrial environments remain strongly physical.
The occupation may benefit from better information before maintenance begins. Workers with inspection, welding, advanced materials, and digital diagnostic knowledge may be increasingly valuable in industrial maintenance teams.
Labor-market picture
Two measures, different questions
These measures offer two different ways to understand the occupation: BLS projections show how national employment may change over time, while relative AI exposure highlights where tasks may intersect with AI-related capabilities. Read them with the work profile and your local context to decide what deserves closer investigation.
Employment
- Employment, 2025
- 10,200 jobs
- Projected employment, 2035
- 10,100 jobs
- Projected change, 2025–2035
- -200 jobs (-1.8%)
Relative AI exposure
BLS category: Low. This is a relative task-exposure classification, not a forecast of employment change, automation, wages, or worker replacement.
Relative AI exposure · Low
Work profile
Representative tasks
These task statements come from O*NET 31.0. They are source facts, not labels assigned by the AI exposure measure.
- Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers.
- 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.
- Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
- Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
- Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof joints.
Skills that matter
Skills in the source profile
Importance uses O*NET's 1–5 scale. Level uses its 0–7 scale. Select a skill to see its source definition and reported values.
Technology and tools
These technology records come from O*NET and show software or tools reported in the occupation profile. They describe work context, not a required checklist for every employer.
- Computer aided design CAD software
- Computer based training software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Preparation
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
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Source provenance
Labor-market and exposure facts: bls-ep-2025-35. Work profile: onet-31.0. Verify release details on the Sources page.