Boilermaker
Skilled trades
Boilermakers install and maintain pressure vessels, tanks, and heat exchangers in industrial settings — licensed work that requires physical presence and specialized expertise.
- BLS median pay
- $72,280 (May 2024)
- Job outlook
- 6% growth, 2024-34
- Training path
- Apprenticeship, 4-5 years
- Entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Apprenticeship
- Physical demand
- High
- Category
- Skilled trades
- AI resilience
- Strong
Why This Role Is More Resilient
This career scores strongly on AI resilience. The combination of physical presence, patient or client interaction, and specialized hands-on skills makes it difficult to automate or offshore.
Best For
People who want strong union wages and are comfortable with industrial environments, heights, and confined spaces.
Avoid If
Extreme heat, industrial noise, physical intensity, and travel to job sites sound unappealing.
First Step to Research
Contact the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB) for apprenticeship openings in your region.
How to Start: First Jobs, Common Mistakes, and Fit
Distilled from how working people and job postings describe the entry path. Use it for direction, then verify licensing, pay, and program details locally.
First job titles to search
Entry roles often aren't posted under "Boilermaker." Search and apply under these titles too:
- Boilermaker apprentice
- Boilermaker helper
- Shutdown worker
- Industrial welder helper
- Pressure vessel helper
- Rigging helper
Common beginner mistakes to avoid
- Searching only "Boilermaker" and missing the real beginner titles: Boilermaker apprentice, Boilermaker helper, Shutdown worker, Industrial welder helper.
- Paying for training before verifying local employer demand and official eligibility.
- Assuming national wage data equals local first-year pay.
- Buying tools, products, equipment, or supplies before receiving a real list.
- Ignoring schedule, commute, physical strain, and first-setting realities.
Signs this could be a good fit
- You can tolerate physical work and a multi-year learning ladder.
- You like learning by watching and doing.
- You can be punctual, safe, coachable, and humble.
- You can handle jobsite discomfort and changing locations.
Warning signs it may not be
- You need immediate full wages and cannot handle apprentice/helper pay.
- You cannot reliably commute or handle physical jobsite work.
- Local paths require expensive school with weak employer demand.
- You dislike being supervised closely while learning.
What This Pays in Your State
Boilermaker salary & licensing by state
Real state and metro wages, license steps, and where to train as a boilermaker in every state we cover:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources and Verification
Pay, education, training, and outlook data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Boilermakers. Verified 2026-06-13. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 47-2011 / Occupational Information Network (O*NET) 47-2011.00.
View BLS Occupational Outlook · View O*NET Profile
National median pay is a starting point only. State licensing, local wages, training costs, clinical placement rates, and local employer demand vary. Always verify with the Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, state licensing boards, and local training providers before making a decision.