Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in Alabama

Median $30.56 an hour for 180 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$30.56/hrMedian hourly wageAlabama, May data
$63,570/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.22 – $38.1710th to 90th percentilehourly range
180Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Boilermaker pay in Alabama: the full range

Wage percentiles, AlabamaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$30$40$50$60/hrAlabama: 10th $23.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.56 · 75th $35.31 · 90th $38.17Alabama$30.56$23.22$38.17United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: Alabama vs United States, May 2025.

Alabama ranks 33rd of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 29th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $34.41). 180 boilermakers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.22 – $24.13$48,290 – $50,190roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$24.13 – $35.31$50,190 – $73,440the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$35.31 – $38.17$73,440 – $79,400the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in Alabama

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDecatur: $30.80Decatur$30.80Birmingham: $30.77Birmingham$30.77
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in Alabama, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Decatur$23.19$30.80$50.66301% above
Birmingham$23.48$30.77$38.66—1% above

Boilermaker wages in Alabama over time

Alabama, 1999-2025AlabamaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$36.74United States$30.56Alabama
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, Alabama vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearAlabama $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.90$32.66$18.09890
2000$16.50$30.85$17.80480
2001$14.59$26.52$19.06370
2002$18.24$32.64$20.17480
2004$21.82$37.19$21.68310
2005$22.36$36.86$23.10340
2006$18.52$29.58$22.58260
2007$18.09$28.09$24.38290
2008$18.72$27.99$25.13280
2009$24.15$36.24$26.97380
2010$22.95$33.88$26.27590
2011$25.80$36.93$27.36540
2012$24.32$34.10$27.19320
2013$27.26$37.67$27.74180
2014$26.65$36.24$28.78240
2015$23.95$32.53$28.90180
2016$25.14$33.72$29.84290
2017$22.71$29.83$29.93190
2018$27.09$34.73$29.88360
2019$27.28$34.35$30.34360
2020$27.97$34.79$31.42370
2021$29.13$34.61$30.91260
2022$29.73$32.71$32.17200
2023$33.86$35.78$34.20350
2024$30.39$31.19$35.26240
2025$30.56$30.56$36.74180

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in Alabama changed by -6.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for boilermakers in Alabama

On federally funded construction in Alabama, contractors must pay boilermakers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 67 of the 67 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $58.13 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $30.56.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ALAutauga: $58.13 (union)Baldwin: $58.13 (union)Barbour: $58.13 (union)Bibb: $58.13 (union)Blount: $58.13 (union)Bullock: $58.13 (union)Butler: $58.13 (union)Calhoun: $58.13 (union)Chambers: $58.13 (union)Cherokee: $58.13 (union)Chilton: $58.13 (union)Choctaw: $58.13 (union)Clarke: $58.13 (union)Clay: $58.13 (union)Cleburne: $58.13 (union)Coffee: $58.13 (union)Colbert: $58.13 (union)Conecuh: $58.13 (union)Coosa: $58.13 (union)Covington: $58.13 (union)Crenshaw: $58.13 (union)Cullman: $58.13 (union)Dale: $58.13 (union)Dallas: $58.13 (union)DeKalb: $58.13 (union)Elmore: $58.13 (union)Escambia: $58.13 (union)Etowah: $58.13 (union)Fayette: $58.13 (union)Franklin: $58.13 (union)Geneva: $58.13 (union)Greene: $58.13 (union)Hale: $58.13 (union)Henry: $58.13 (union)Houston: $58.13 (union)Jackson: $58.13 (union)Jefferson: $58.13 (union)Lamar: $58.13 (union)Lauderdale: $58.13 (union)Lawrence: $58.13 (union)Lee: $58.13 (union)Limestone: $58.13 (union)Lowndes: $58.13 (union)Macon: $58.13 (union)Madison: $58.13 (union)Marengo: $58.13 (union)Marion: $58.13 (union)Marshall: $58.13 (union)Mobile: $58.13 (union)Monroe: $58.13 (union)Montgomery: $58.13 (union)Morgan: $58.13 (union)Perry: $58.13 (union)Pickens: $58.13 (union)Pike: $58.13 (union)Randolph: $58.13 (union)Russell: $58.13 (union)St. Clair: $58.13 (union)Shelby: $58.13 (union)Sumter: $58.13 (union)Talladega: $58.13 (union)Tallapoosa: $58.13 (union)Tuscaloosa: $58.13 (union)Walker: $58.13 (union)Washington: $58.13 (union)Wilcox: $58.13 (union)Winston: $58.13 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for boilermakers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$30$40$50$60$70/hrAutauga (Alabama): market median $30.56, prevailing (union) $58.13, gap +$27.57Autauga (Alabama)+$27.57Bibb (Birmingham): market median $30.77, prevailing (union) $58.13, gap +$27.36Bibb (Birmingham)+$27.36Lawrence (Decatur): market median $30.80, prevailing (union) $58.13, gap +$27.33Lawrence (Decatur)+$27.33
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for boilermakers, metro counties in Alabama.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AutaugaUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260082
BaldwinUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260083
BarbourUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260078
BibbUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260099
BlountUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260099
BullockUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260078
ButlerUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260078
CalhounUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260084
ChambersUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260079
CherokeeUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260079
ChiltonUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260099
ChoctawUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260080
ClarkeUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260073
ClayUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260079
CleburneUnion BOIL0108-001 2025-01-01$34.21$23.92$58.13AL20260079

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Alabama prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Alabama?

113.4kConstruction jobsAlabama, 2026-08
+2.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202660k80k100k120k19901995200020052010201520202025113kAug 2026
Construction employment in Alabama (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just boilermakers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Jefferson County12,148$79,282$1,525
Madison County5,213$75,617$1,454
Mobile County8,072$75,348$1,449
Morgan County2,314$75,205$1,446
Chilton County457$75,114$1,445
Shelby County3,494$74,861$1,440
Montgomery County3,254$71,634$1,378
Colbert County1,209$68,621$1,320
Baldwin County3,531$67,920$1,306
Lauderdale County1,405$67,819$1,304
Elmore County805$67,299$1,294
Limestone County1,759$66,641$1,282

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Alabama

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in Alabama?

The median boilermaker in Alabama earned $30.56 an hour ($63,570 a year) in May 2025, 17% below the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $24.13–$35.31; the top 10% earn more than $38.17.

Where does Alabama rank for boilermaker pay?

Alabama ranks 33rd of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $30.56 an hour, and 29th after adjusting for Alabama's cost of living (BEA price parity 88.8, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in Alabama?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for boilermakers in 67 counties, with a typical package of $58.13 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many boilermakers work in Alabama?

BLS counted 180 boilermakers in Alabama in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.29; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Alabama and metro areas, SOC 47-2011.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.