Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary: what boilermakers actually make

Boilermakers earned a median $36.74 an hour ($76,410 a year) in May 2025, across 10,190 jobs in the BLS employer survey. Pay by state and metro, the 20-year trend, and the union scale contractors must pay on federal work.

$36.74/hrMedian hourly wageUnited States, May data
$76,410/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.28 – $53.0610th to 90th percentilehourly range
10,190Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

How much do boilermakers make?

The median boilermaker earned $36.74 an hour, or $76,410 a year, in May 2025 according to the BLS employer survey of 10,190 jobs. Half earn more and half earn less; the middle 50% earn between $31.13 and $45.88 an hour.

Wage percentiles, United States$20$30$40$50$60/hrUnited States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74$24.28$53.06
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers, May 2025. The bar spans the 25th–75th percentile; the line spans the 10th–90th.

The middle half of boilermakers earn between $31.13 and $45.88 an hour. The top 10% earn more than $53.06 ($110,370 a year); the bottom 10% earn less than $24.28. The top 10% earn 2.2× what the bottom 10% earn.

Apprentice, journeyman and master boilermaker pay

Pay tracks licence and experience: an apprentice or entry-level boilermaker earns near the bottom of the range, a journeyman around the median, and a master boilermaker, foreman or specialist in the top quarter. The union pay scale (journeyman base plus fringe) for every county is in the prevailing-wage section.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$24.28 – $31.13$50,490 – $64,760roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$31.13 – $45.88$64,760 – $95,430the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$45.88 – $53.06$95,430 – $110,370the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Career-stage bands are an approximate reading of the wage distribution, not a BLS classification or licence requirement.

Boilermaker pay by state

Median hourly wage, boilermakersAK: n/aAKAL: $30.56ALAR: $36.93ARAZ: $37.47AZCA: $56.80CACO: $42.96COCT: $38.64DC: n/aDE: n/aFL: $33.55FLGA: $30.86GAHI: n/aHIIA: $39.65IAID: $42.50IDIL: $47.95ILIN: $43.95INKS: $34.70KSKY: $35.97KYLA: $35.57LAMA: n/aMD: $20.31ME: n/aMEMI: $47.22MIMN: $46.25MNMO: $37.76MOMS: $50.92MSMT: n/aMTNC: $23.90NCND: n/aNDNE: n/aNENH: $41.09NJ: $39.62NM: $48.66NMNV: $29.53NVNY: $40.76NYOH: $41.13OHOK: $37.38OKOR: n/aORPA: $41.75PARI: n/aSC: $35.98SCSD: n/aSDTN: $24.91TNTX: $36.42TXUT: n/aUTVA: $32.47VAVT: n/aWA: $45.77WAWI: $46.92WIWV: $30.70WVWY: $37.45WYSmall statesCT $38.64DC —DE —MA —MD $20.31NH $41.09NJ $39.62RI —VT —Median hourly wage, boilermakers$32.69$37.11$40.32$45.41n/a
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by state, May 2025. Click a state for its page.
Table
StateMedian $/hrvs US
California$56.8055% above
Mississippi$50.9239% above
New Mexico$48.6632% above
Illinois$47.9531% above
Michigan$47.2229% above
Wisconsin$46.9228% above
Minnesota$46.2526% above
Washington$45.7725% above
Indiana$43.9520% above
Colorado$42.9617% above
Idaho$42.5016% above
Pennsylvania$41.7514% above
Ohio$41.1312% above
New Hampshire$41.0912% above
New York$40.7611% above
Iowa$39.658% above
New Jersey$39.628% above
Connecticut$38.645% above
Missouri$37.763% above
Arizona$37.472% above
Wyoming$37.452% above
Oklahoma$37.382% above
Arkansas$36.931% above
Texas$36.421% below
South Carolina$35.982% below
Kentucky$35.972% below
Louisiana$35.573% below
Kansas$34.706% below
Florida$33.559% below
Virginia$32.4712% below
Georgia$30.8616% below
West Virginia$30.7016% below
Alabama$30.5617% below
Nevada$29.5320% below
Tennessee$24.9132% below
North Carolina$23.9035% below
Maryland$20.3145% below
StateMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjustedAdjusted rankJobs
California$56.80$51.31#3720
Mississippi$50.92$58.53#1280
New Mexico$48.66$52.78#2300
Illinois$47.95$47.95#6110
Michigan$47.22$49.09#5—
Wisconsin$46.92$49.86#4170
Minnesota$46.25$46.91#8140
Washington$45.77$42.78#13190
Indiana$43.95$47.11#7170
Colorado$42.96$41.67#1640
Idaho$42.50$44.50#1070
Pennsylvania$41.75$42.78#12260

Boilermaker wages over time

Median, nominal, 1999-2025Median, nominalMedian in 2025 dollarsSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$36.74Median, nominal$36.74Median in 2025 dollars
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, 1999–2025, nominal and adjusted to 2025 dollars with CPI-U. BLS cautions against strict time-series use of OEWS: methods changed in 2021 and wage recording in 2022.
Table
YearNominal $/hrIn 2025 $Jobs
1999$18.09$34.9629,160
2000$17.80$33.2825,280
2001$19.06$34.6524,390
2002$20.17$36.1024,560
2003$20.79$36.3820,270
2004$21.68$36.9518,520
2005$23.10$38.0817,760
2006$22.58$36.0617,240
2007$24.38$37.8618,650
2008$25.13$37.5820,400
2009$26.97$40.4722,400
2010$26.27$38.7919,030
2011$27.36$39.1618,850
2012$27.19$38.1317,660
2013$27.74$38.3415,950
2014$28.78$39.1417,210
2015$28.90$39.2616,350
2016$29.84$40.0316,660
2017$29.93$39.3115,020
2018$29.88$38.3113,870
2019$30.34$38.2115,820
2020$31.42$39.0814,020
2021$30.91$36.7212,920
2022$32.17$35.3913,570
2023$34.20$36.1411,130
2024$35.26$36.1910,170
2025$36.74$36.7410,190

Adjusted for inflation, the median boilermaker wage changed by -6.4% over the last ten years and by -3.8% since 2019.

Are there more boilermaker jobs than there used to be?

-35.6%Jobs since 201915,820 then, 10,190 in 2025
-37.7%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey

The BLS employer survey counted 10,190 boilermakers in May 2025, -37.7% compared with 16,350 ten years earlier and -35.6% since 2019.

Boilermakers counted by the BLS employer surveySOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages010k20k30k40k20002005201020152020202510,190Jobs counted
Boilermakers counted by the BLS employer survey, 1999–2025. Shaded bands mark survey method changes; BLS cautions against reading OEWS strictly as a time series.
Table
YearJobs
199929,160
200025,280
200124,390
200224,560
200320,270
200418,520
200517,760
200617,240
200718,650
200820,400
200922,400
201019,030
201118,850
201217,660
201315,950
201417,210
201516,350
201616,660
201715,020
201813,870
201915,820
202014,020
202112,920
202213,570
202311,130
202410,170
202510,190

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Where the boilermaker jobs are

Boilermakers: concentration by stateAK: n/aAKAL: 1.3×ALAR: 0.6×ARAZ: 0.8×AZCA: 0.6×CACO: 0.2×COCT: 0.4×DC: n/aDE: n/aFL: 0.6×FLGA: n/aGAHI: n/aHIIA: 0.5×IAID: 1.2×IDIL: 0.3×ILIN: 0.8×INKS: 0.7×KSKY: 1.1×KYLA: 9.6×LAMA: n/aMD: 0.2×ME: n/aMEMI: n/aMIMN: 0.7×MNMO: 0.5×MOMS: 3.6×MSMT: n/aMTNC: 0.5×NCND: n/aNDNE: n/aNENH: 1.3×NJ: 1.0×NM: 5.2×NMNV: 0.7×NVNY: 0.7×NYOH: 0.8×OHOK: n/aOKOR: n/aORPA: 0.7×PARI: n/aSC: n/aSCSD: n/aSDTN: 0.8×TNTX: 2.5×TXUT: n/aUTVA: 0.6×VAVT: n/aWA: 0.8×WAWI: 0.9×WIWV: 0.7×WVWY: 1.7×WYSmall statesCT 0.4×DC n/aDE n/aMA n/aMD 0.2×NH 1.3×NJ 1.0×RI n/aVT n/aConcentration (1.0 = US average)0.5×0.7×0.8×1.2×n/a
Share of all jobs held by boilermakers in each state relative to the national share (location quotient), May 2025. 1.0 means the same concentration as the country as a whole.

Louisiana has the highest concentration of boilermakers, 9.6× the national share, followed by New Mexico (5.2×) and Mississippi (3.6×). The lowest is Maryland at 0.2×. Concentration says where the trade is a large part of the local economy; the job count says where the most positions are.

StateJobsJobs per 1,000Concentration
Louisiana1,2200.69.6×
New Mexico3000.35.2×
Mississippi2800.23.6×
Texas2,3400.22.5×
Wyoming300.11.7×
Alabama1800.11.3×
New Hampshire600.11.3×
Idaho700.11.2×
Kentucky1500.11.1×
New Jersey2800.11.0×

Metros with the most boilermaker jobs

MetroJobsMedian $/hr
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX1,170$37.06
Baton Rouge, LA680$35.93
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ330$39.62
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA320$53.06
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX230$35.13
Corpus Christi, TX170$31.09
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD140$41.79
New Orleans-Metairie, LA120$37.16
Lafayette, LA110$34.00
Pittsburgh, PA100$43.95

Highest-paying metros for boilermakers

MetroMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjustedAdjusted rank90th pctJobs
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$37.06$37.59#2$48.231,170
Baton Rouge, LA$35.93$39.57#1$36.90680

Metros with at least 500 boilermakers. Cost-of-living adjustment divides the median by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100); the adjusted rank is among the 2 metros with a parity.

Union scale and prevailing wage for boilermakers

Federal construction projects must pay the Davis-Bacon rate for each county. Where the rate comes from a union contract it is the local journeyman scale: base wage plus fringe (health, pension, training). Where it comes from a survey, it is often older and lower. This table summarises the Building-construction determination for boilermakers in every state.

StateCounties with a union rateTypical union package (base + fringe, $/hr)Typical survey rateCounties with a rate
Delaware100%$90.48—3/3
Alaska100%$87.12—30/30
California91%$84.59$25.8555/58
Iowa100%$82.39—99/99
Missouri100%$82.25—1/115
Nebraska100%$82.05—71/93
Pennsylvania100%$81.45—67/67
Indiana100%$81.41—80/92
Wisconsin100%$81.15—72/72
Michigan100%$81.14—83/83
Illinois100%$80.80—102/102
Hawaii100%$80.62—5/5

Source: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions, Building construction type. Not the official determination; see each state page for county detail and links to the official text.

Job outlook

-1.8%Projected job growth2025-35, BLS
700Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
10,200Jobs in 2025BLS projections base, includes self-employed

The BLS Employment Projections program expects the number of boilermakers to change by -1.8% over 2025-35, from 10,200 to 10,100, with about 700 openings a year.

Where the openings come from0200400600New jobs: 0New jobs0Workforce exits: 400Workforce exits400Occupation changes: 400Occupation changes400
Average annual openings for boilermakers, 2025-35, split into growth and the two kinds of replacement need. BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.10.

Of those openings, 0 a year come from growth in the number of jobs and 800 from replacement: 400 for people who retire or leave the workforce and 400 for people who move to another occupation.

Demand change - share decreases as coal plants are closed or converted to natural gas.

BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35, factors affecting occupational utilization

BLS worker characteristics, 2025-35: typical education for entry: high school diploma or equivalent; related work experience: none; on-the-job training: apprenticeship. The Occupational Outlook Handbook entry describes the work.

What each state projects

State labor market agencies publish their own projections on a 2024–2034 cycle. Arizona projects the fastest growth for boilermakers at +28.7%; by openings, Texas (220 a year), Louisiana (140 a year), Pennsylvania (40 a year) lead. 31 states publish a figure for this occupation.

StateJobs, 2024Projected, 2034ChangeOpenings per year
Arizona120150+28.7%10
Nevada90120+22.3%10
Connecticut6070+14.1%10
West Virginia3030+9.7%0
Idaho100110+8.9%10
Indiana190200+5.9%20
Wyoming100110+5.8%10
Kentucky300310+4.3%30
Tennessee210220+4.2%20
Texas2,4302,530+4.0%220
Georgia230240+3.5%20
Illinois150150+2.0%10

Source: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central, 2024–2034 projections. State base counts include the self-employed, so they run higher than the BLS survey count above.

Compare boilermaker pay with other trades

See how boilermaker pay compares with other trades on the ranking of all trades and the comparison pages.

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make an hour?

Hourly pay runs from about $24.28 at the 10th percentile to $53.06 at the 90th, with a median of $36.74. Overtime, per-diem and union fringe benefits are not included in these figures.

What does a starting or apprentice boilermaker make?

Entry-level pay sits near the bottom of the distribution: roughly $24.28 to $31.13 an hour ($50,490 to $64,760 a year). Registered apprentices usually start at a fixed percentage of the local journeyman rate and step up every six to twelve months.

Which state pays boilermakers the most?

California had the highest median at $56.80 an hour in May 2025, followed by Mississippi ($50.92) and New Mexico ($48.66). Adjusted for cost of living the order changes; see the state table.

Are boilermaker wages going up?

In today's dollars the median boilermaker wage changed by -6.4% over the last ten years of data (CPI-adjusted). The nominal median rose from $28.90 to $36.74.

Is boilermaker a good career?

By the numbers: median pay of $76,410 a year, a 90th percentile of $110,370, projected growth of -1.8% and about 700 openings a year. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself; this site only reports the pay and demand data.

Are boilermaker jobs growing?

The BLS employer survey counted 10,190 boilermakers in May 2025, -37.7% compared with ten years earlier and -35.6% since 2019. Looking ahead, BLS projects -1.8% growth over 2025-35 with about 700 openings a year, most of them replacing people who leave the occupation.

Which states will need the most boilermakers?

By projected annual openings, the state agencies' figures put Texas (220 a year, +4.0% growth), Louisiana (140 a year, +0.2% growth), Pennsylvania (40 a year, -6.3% growth) at the top. Every state's projection is in the outlook table above.

Where are boilermakers most concentrated?

Relative to the size of each state's workforce, Louisiana has the highest concentration at 9.6× the national share, then New Mexico (5.2×) and Mississippi (3.6×). The largest absolute job counts are usually in the most populous states; see the map above.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2011 (Boilermakers). Wages exclude overtime and benefits; job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • Inflation adjustment: BLS CPI-U annual averages, 2025 base.
  • Cost-of-living adjustment: BEA Regional Price Parities, all items, 2024.
  • Prevailing wage: SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35 (Tables 1.2, 1.10 and 1.12). Public-domain data; Skilled Wages is not affiliated with BLS.
  • State projections: state labor market information agencies via Projections Central (Projections Managing Partnership), 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05. State figures include the self-employed.