Boilermaker
A boilermaker is a skilled tradesperson who constructs, repairs, and installs boilers, vats, and other industrial vessels that hold liquids and gases. This role is essential in various industries, including heating and cooling systems, food production, scientific development, and energy generation. Boilermakers typically require a high school diploma and undergo on-the-job training through apprenticeship programs, with no extensive prior related work experience necessary.
The work environments for boilermakers can vary significantly, encompassing both specialized manufacturing plants and on-site locations, where they may face diverse conditions ranging from cramped indoor spaces to outdoor settings. Their duties involve interpreting technical schematics, fabricating parts, welding, and performing regular maintenance and inspections on installed equipment. The job demands a hands-on approach and often includes collaboration with other tradespeople and engineers.
While the median yearly earnings for boilermakers are approximately $71,140, the occupation has seen a slight decline in employment outlook. Aspiring boilermakers benefit from a strong interest in metalworking and welding, as well as adaptability to changing work conditions.
Boilermaker
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Manufacturing
Interests: Metalworking, welding, construction, working with your hands
Earnings (Yearly Median): $71,140 per year $34.20 per hour
Employment & Outlook: -4% (Decline)
Entry-Level Education High school diploma or equivalent
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job Training Apprenticeship
Overview
Sphere of Work. Boilermakers construct, repair, and install boilers, vats, and other industrial vessels designed to hold liquids and gases. The construction and installation of boilers and vats fall within the larger sphere of industrial manufacturing and maintenance. Boilermakers construct equipment used in home and commercial heating and cooling, industrial food production, scientific development, gas and electrical power generation, and a variety of other industries.
Work Environment. Boilermakers work in specialized manufacturing plants and also perform on-site installation, repair, refitting, and deconstruction services, which can take them into a variety of work environments. They may work independently or in close conjunction with other boilermakers, depending on the requirements of a specific job.
Boilermakers often work outdoors and may face climatic hazards on the job. In other cases, boilermakers may work in cramped, physically limited conditions, such as when repairing the inside of a boiler or working in a boiler room at an industrial facility. Boilermakers encounter significant physical risk during the course of their work and may be required to live away from home, in housing near individual worksites, for extended periods.
Occupation Interest. An individual pursuing a career as a boilermaker should have a strong interest in hands-on manufacturing and construction. Those with interest and experience in metalworking and welding will likely have an advantage when seeking employment. Because worksites and conditions vary, prospective boilermakers should be comfortable with a variable workload and should be prepared to encounter unpredictable conditions on the job.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Most boilermakers work full-time schedules, though overtime work and changing hours are common during certain projects. The typical routine for a boilermaker depends considerably on the nature of the current project. A typical day may be spent in a workshop, fabricating or attaching parts for a boiler or vat, or at a worksite, installing, repairing, or deconstructing a boiler for a customer.
Boilermakers often must follow technical schematics and blueprints to construct the parts needed for a certain vat or boiler. Many of the parts, including tubes, intake and exhaust valves, and the bodies of the vats or boilers, are typically constructed in a workshop. Boilermakers spend a considerable amount of time welding, using either handheld welding tools or computer-aided equipment.
Once the components of a boiler or vat have been completed, the device must be installed in its final location. The installation process can take place in a variety of environments. Many facilities install boilers and vats outdoors or on rooftops. In other cases, boilers and vats may be installed in basements or specialized rooms.
Boilers and vats are constructed to endure years or even decades of continuous use. Boilermakers must, therefore, spend a considerable amount of time performing regular maintenance and inspections on previously installed vats and boilers. Maintenance often involves using hand-operated welding tools to repair cracks or broken seals in the piping leading to or away from the boiler. In many cases, boilermakers may be required to spend days or weeks working on-site.
Boilermaker Fitters (805.361-014). Boilermaker Fitters position, align, and temporarily secure structural parts and related assemblies of pressure vessels, such as boilers, tanks, and vats, for permanent assembly by Boilermakers.
Boiler House Mechanics (805.361-010). Boiler House Mechanics maintain and repair stationary steam boilers and related equipment using hand tools and portable power tools.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Boilermakers typically spend part of their time in manufacturing facilities and part of their time working on-site in a variety of conditions. Fabrication and construction are conducted indoors, while maintenance, installation, and deconstruction sometimes occur in outdoor environments.
Plant Environment. Manufacturing plants are common venues for the construction of boilers and vats. In addition, many boilers and vats are used in industrial processes and may be installed in plants of various types, including utility and power plants, brewing facilities, and iron and steel construction facilities.
Human Environment. Many large-scale projects require boilermakers to work in conjunction with one another. In some cases, boilermakers may work closely with engineers or technical drafters to translate design blueprints into a finished product. Boilermakers also work in training groups that include apprentices, or beginning workers; journeymen, workers who have completed apprenticeship requirements; and master workers, experienced boilermakers who supervise lower-level workers during projects.
Technological Environment. Boilermakers often use computer-aided welding machines for construction projects and may also use computer-aided drafting and design (CAD) software to refine and change boiler and vat specifications before construction. In many cases, handheld tools are used for a large number of construction, repair, and installation projects.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. Most boilermakers receive on-the-job training through apprenticeship programs and may begin training immediately after finishing high school or an equivalent degree program. High school–level training in mathematics, engineering, and drafting may be helpful to those entering the field. In addition, computer literacy skills are often needed for communication with customers and the operation of field-specific software and machinery.
Postsecondary. Few apprenticeship programs require postsecondary education for applicants, though some colleges and technical institutes offer programs in mechanical construction that may be helpful to those pursuing employment as boilermakers. In addition, because welding is a frequently used skill among boilermakers, those with certification or training in welding techniques are more likely to be accepted into apprenticeship programs. Many technical institutes offer certification programs that train in the use of hand-operated and computer-aided welding devices.
Related Occupations
− Blacksmith
− Welder
Bibliography
"Boilermakers." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/boilermakers.htm. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.
"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 47-2011 Boilermakers." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472011.htm. Accessed 28 Aug. 2024.