Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 51-8021

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

The published band from $50,590 to $125,390 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Power Plant Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-8021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to suppl…
  2. 2. Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel i…
  3. 3. Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels
  4. 4. Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems
  5. 5. Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are o…
  6. 6. Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps
  7. 7. Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipme…
  8. 8. Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and…
  9. 9. Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators…
  10. 10. Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfun…
  11. 11. Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work
  12. 12. Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new…

O*NET skills and knowledge for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-8021 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.0
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.4
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.3
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.3
  5. 5. Equipment Maintenance 3.3
  6. 6. Troubleshooting 3.3
  7. 7. Repairing 3.3
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.1
  2. 2. Chemistry 3.4
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.3
  4. 4. Physics 3.2
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.2
  6. 6. English Language 3.1
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$50,590 to $125,390
median $78,620 · ~2.5× spread
$79K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
3,800
Annual openings
28,250
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

1. Alaska $88,330
2. California $90,650
3. Washington $91,530
4. Wyoming $111,920
5. Illinois $115,780
6. Connecticut $94,870
7. New York $94,070
8. Maryland $85,240
9. District of Columbia $90,470
10. Hawaii $103,400

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  2. 2. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  3. 3. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  4. 4. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  5. 5. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  6. 6. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120

The OEWS band for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators runs from $50,590 (10th) to $125,390 (90th), about 2.5× wide, with median $78,620. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 3,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Alaska at $88,330. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Alaska

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in California

Second-highest state pay

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer · $102K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer · $62K

All Career Cards

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

Head-to-head with another role
Compare Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do stationary engineers and boiler operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators. Leading ones include: Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to suppl…; Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel i…; Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels; Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for stationary engineers and boiler operators? ▼
For SOC 51-8021, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.0), Operation and Control (3.4), Active Listening (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Chemistry, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators sit next to other Production Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Power Plant Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Among those peers, Power Plant Operators holds the highest published national median ($102,040). Plant and System Operators, All Other sits lower at $62,470. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators? ▼
The median salary for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators is $78,620 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $50,590 (10th percentile) to $125,390 (90th percentile). For context beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +2% employment change for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 3,800 projected annual openings. This is about as fast as average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a stationary engineers and boiler operators? ▼
BLS assigns Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators to High school diploma or equivalent for typical education needed for entry. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay stationary engineers and boiler operators the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators are Alaska ($88,330), California ($90,650), Washington ($91,530). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau