Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Architecture and ConstructionO*NET 51-8021.00United States
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.
- Median annual earnings
- $77,944
- Projected change
- +4.7%
- Typical education
- Certificate
- Employment
- 33.7K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
47.2% of the workforce
Growing to 35.27K by 2035
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The work
What stationary engineers and boiler operators do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.
- Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.
- 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.
- Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work.
- Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts.
- Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes.
- Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools.
- Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.
- Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters.
- Weigh, measure, and record fuel used.
- Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems.
- Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools.
- Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations.
- Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes.
- Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $49,771
- 25th percentile
- $62,184
- 50th percentile
- $77,944
- 75th percentile
- $100,162
- 90th percentile
- $125,691
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $77,944 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+4.7%average or slower
202533,696 jobs
2035 projected35,265 jobs
1,569 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Certificate
- 47.2%
- High school diploma or less
- 37.8%
- Associate degree
- 10.5%
- Some college
- 4.5%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Stationary Engineers1,071 postings
- 02Boiler Operators912 postings
- 03Boiler Plant Operators289 postings
- 04Operators136 postings
- 05Boiler Engineers113 postings
- 06Operating Engineers92 postings
- 07Plant Engineers81 postings
- 08Furnace Operators51 postings
- 09Equipment Operators45 postings
- 10Reliability Engineers44 postings
- 11Auxiliary Operators37 postings
- 12Utility Operators35 postings
- 13Boiler Technicians32 postings
- 14Refrigeration Operators31 postings
- 15Engineers30 postings
- 16Heat Treat Operators30 postings
- 17Control Room Operators27 postings
- 18Journeyman Engineers22 postings
- 19Culinary Operations Managers20 postings
- 20Boiler Service Technicians19 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek70 postings
- 02GPAC63 postings
- 03CBRE54 postings
- 04United States Department of Veterans Affairs53 postings
- 05JLL46 postings
- 06Precision Castparts45 postings
- 07Swagelok40 postings
- 08Prime Healthcare Services38 postings
- 09Sodexo33 postings
- 10Covanta Holding Corporation30 postings
- 11Cargill26 postings
- 12State of California26 postings
- 13Trinity Health26 postings
- 14Amentum22 postings
- 15Sprung Services22 postings
- 16Kaiser Permanente21 postings
- 17State Of Colorado20 postings
- 18Reworld19 postings
- 19Enfra18 postings
- 20State Of Illinois18 postings
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