Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Boilermaker Salary in Philadelphia
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Industrial · COL Index: 115
Boilermakers in Philadelphia, PA earn a median annual wage of $91,690 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $61,820 and the 90th at $110,770. After cost of living, that translates to $79,730 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (56/100).
What Boilermakers Take Home in Philadelphia
The $48,950 spread between entry-level and top-decile boilermakers in Philadelphia is relatively narrow — about 53% of the median. That tight band usually signals a trade where pay scales primarily with experience rather than employer or specialization. New entrants can expect to climb steadily toward median pay over their first 5-10 years.
With Philadelphia's cost-of-living index of 115, a boilermaker earning $91,690 here translates to about $79,730 in U.S.-average purchasing power. That is a meaningful but manageable adjustment — the metro's higher pay typically clears the cost-of-living gap with room to spare in skilled trades.
With a Trade Pay Score of 56 (C), boilermakers in Philadelphia are mid-tier — neither standout strong nor materially weak. The combination earns a reasonable nominal wage but is dragged down by either flatter wage growth, a higher cost of living that erodes purchasing power, or thinner employment depth. Workers should compare the per-trade pages to see if a different metro improves the grade.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $61,820 | $53,757 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $69,800 | $60,696 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $91,690 | $79,730 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $102,960 | $89,530 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $110,770 | $96,322 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for boilermakers, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Philadelphia are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Boilermaker make in Philadelphia?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median boilermaker salary in Philadelphia, PA is $91,690. The 10th percentile is $61,820 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $110,770 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Philadelphia pay compare for Boilermakers?
With a Trade Pay Score of 56/100 and a grade of C, the Philadelphia-Boilermaker pairing is a mid-tier combination that is neither standout strong nor materially weak.
What is the apprenticeship path for Boilermakers in Philadelphia?
Boilermakers typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($61,820) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Boilermaker pay in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia has a cost-of-living index of 115. The median boilermaker salary of $91,690 translates to $79,730 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Boilermakers in Philadelphia, PA earn a median annual wage of $91,690 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $61,820 and the 90th at $110,770. After cost of living, that translates to $79,730 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: C (56/100).
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.