How Much Does a Boilermaker Make? (2024)
Industrial · SOC Code 47-2011 · 4-year apprenticeship
The average boilermaker earns $89,510 per year ($43/hour) as of 2024, according to BLS data. Yearly income ranges from $60,690 to $138,790 depending on city, with entry-level workers earning about $75,910 and top earners making $139,130+.
Yes — top-decile boilermakers clear $100K in 7 of 14 metros
The 90th-percentile boilermaker in San Francisco, CA earns $139,130 per year ($67/hour). Reaching that tier typically takes journeyman-to-master progression plus union membership, specialization, or running a small contracting business. Median boilermaker pay nationally is $89,510 — the $100K mark is the high-earner ceiling, not the middle.
National Salary Range
Boilermaker salaries range from $60,690 to $138,790 median across cities, depending on location, union membership, and experience level.
Boilermaker Salary by City
| City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL-Adjusted | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $138,790 | $75,910 – $139,130 | $73,047 | D | 50 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $107,600 | $81,860 – $122,240 | $64,819 | D | 400 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $102,740 | $101,620 – $103,180 | $96,925 | C | 0 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $99,050 | $72,360 – $99,880 | $103,177 | C | 70 |
| Detroit, MI | $96,510 | $68,980 – $100,250 | $108,438 | C | 0 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $93,130 | $55,710 – $98,570 | $102,341 | C | 100 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $91,690 | $61,820 – $110,770 | $79,730 | C | 240 |
| Nashville, TN | $90,210 | $37,400 – $90,210 | $87,583 | C | 50 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $89,210 | $65,960 – $100,510 | $96,967 | C | 160 |
| New York, NY | $80,560 | $52,130 – $127,830 | $43,080 | F | 190 |
| New Orleans, LA | $75,370 | $64,650 – $78,710 | $79,337 | C | 120 |
| Houston, TX | $64,310 | $56,400 – $85,470 | $66,990 | D | 1,120 |
| Atlanta, GA | $63,280 | $42,540 – $80,590 | $59,698 | D | 0 |
| Miami, FL | $60,690 | $24,960 – $66,140 | $49,746 | D | 0 |
About Boilermaker Pay
Boilermakers earn a national median salary of $89,510 based on 2024 BLS occupational wage data. The highest-paying city for this trade is San Francisco at $138,790 median, while Miami offers the lowest at $60,690.
Becoming a boilermaker typically requires a 4-year apprenticeship program. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) can expect around $75,910, while master-level tradespeople (90th percentile) earn $139,130 or more. With -1% wage growth over the past 5 years, this trade is growing at a steady pace.
See how this compares to other trades on our highest paying trades ranking, or browse the best cities for trade workers.
Thinking about becoming a boilermaker?
Step-by-step path: 4-year apprenticeship, certifications, state licensing, and apprentice-to-master pay timeline.
Related Industrial Trades
Frequently Asked Questions
Boilermaker work is physically demanding and can be stressful, especially under deadline pressure or in unsafe conditions. Boilermakers work in power plants, refineries, and factories. Work involves extreme heat, confined spaces, heights, and significant travel for shutdown work. The trade rewards problem-solving, attention to detail, and the ability to work safely with tools and equipment. Most boilermakers say the difficulty drops sharply once they finish their apprenticeship and gain field experience.
Boilermakers earn a national median of $89,510 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 90th percentile reaching $139,130 in San Francisco. Specific pay depends on city, certifications, union status, and specialization — see the per-city table above for any metro you're targeting.
Boilermakers earn a national median of $89,510 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 90th percentile reaching $139,130 in San Francisco. Specific pay depends on city, certifications, union status, and specialization — see the per-city table above for any metro you're targeting.
The highest-paying boilermaker jobs are in San Francisco, CA, where the 90th percentile reaches $139,130 and the median is $138,790. The pay-driving specialties tend to be pressure vessel welding and similar high-skill roles — workers who layer certifications and union membership on top of journeyman experience typically reach the 90th percentile within 10-15 years of entering the trade.
The average boilermaker salary is $89,510 per year ($43/hour) based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Average yearly income ranges from $60,690 to $138,790 depending on city, experience, and union status.
Boilermakers earn an average hourly wage of $43/hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. Entry-level (10th percentile) hourly pay is about $36/hour, while top earners (90th percentile) make $67/hour or more.
San Francisco offers the highest median pay for boilermakers at $138,790. However, cost of living matters, the COL-adjusted pay may tell a different story. Check our city-by-city breakdown above.
With a Trade Pay Score of C and -1% wage growth over 5 years, boilermaker offers steady career prospects. There are approximately 2,500 jobs nationwide across 14 metro areas.
Becoming a boilermaker typically requires a 4-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Entry-level pay starts around $75,910 (10th percentile).
Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Trade Pay Scores are a composite of median wage vs. metro income, wage growth, job demand, and COL-adjusted pay.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.