Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in California

Median $56.80 an hour for 720 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$56.80/hrMedian hourly wageCalifornia, May data
$118,150/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$40.37 – $65.8210th to 90th percentilehourly range
720Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Boilermaker pay in California: the full range

Wage percentiles, CaliforniaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$40$60$80/hrCalifornia: 10th $40.37 · 25th $51.45 · median $56.80 · 75th $62.21 · 90th $65.82California$56.80$40.37$65.82United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: California vs United States, May 2025.

California ranks 1st of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $51.31). 720 boilermakers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$40.37 – $51.45$83,960 – $107,010roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$51.45 – $62.21$107,010 – $129,390the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$62.21 – $65.82$129,390 – $136,900the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in California

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60$80/hrSan Francisco: $65.05San Francisco$65.05Los Angeles: $53.06Los Angeles$53.06
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in California, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
San Francisco$42.57$65.05$78.255015% above
Los Angeles$47.91$53.06$65.033207% below

Boilermaker wages in California over time

California, 1999-2025CaliforniaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$20$40$60$80200020052010201520202025$56.80California$36.74United States
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, California vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearCalifornia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.06$40.70$18.09850
2000$23.87$44.63$17.801,060
2001$23.30$42.36$19.06960
2002$22.51$40.28$20.17740
2003$22.65$39.63$20.79710
2004$24.08$41.04$21.68930
2005$26.75$44.10$23.101,050
2006$25.42$40.59$22.58710
2007$30.31$47.06$24.38770
2008$34.76$51.98$25.13700
2009$34.70$52.07$26.97650
2010$31.14$45.98$26.27550
2011$32.40$46.37$27.36540
2012$34.22$47.98$27.19680
2013$39.33$54.35$27.74510
2014$39.76$54.07$28.78650
2015$39.28$53.35$28.90500
2016$39.22$52.61$29.84430
2017$32.52$42.71$29.93270
2018$33.94$43.51$29.88170
2019$38.80$48.86$30.34570
2020$40.15$49.94$31.42750
2021$52.60$62.49$30.91770
2022$50.37$55.41$32.17450
2023$53.52$56.55$34.20280
2024$51.73$53.09$35.26690
2025$56.80$56.80$36.74720

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in California changed by +6.5% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for boilermakers in California

On federally funded construction in California, contractors must pay boilermakers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 50 of the 55 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $84.59 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $25.85). 5 of the 55 counties still use a survey rate dated 1985 or earlier (for example Amador County at $26.85). The market median for the state is $56.80.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, CAAlameda: $84.59 (union)Alpine: $84.59 (union)Amador: $26.85 (survey)Butte: $84.59 (union)Calaveras: $84.59 (union)Colusa: $84.59 (union)Contra Costa: $84.59 (union)Del Norte: $25.85 (survey)El Dorado: $84.59 (union)Fresno: $84.59 (union)Glenn: $84.59 (union)Humboldt: $25.85 (survey)Imperial: —Inyo: $94.09 (union)Kern: $94.09 (union)Kings: $84.59 (union)Lake: $25.85 (survey)Lassen: $84.59 (union)Los Angeles: $94.09 (union)Madera: $84.59 (union)Marin: $84.59 (union)Mariposa: $84.59 (union)Mendocino: $25.85 (survey)Merced: $84.59 (union)Modoc: $84.59 (union)Mono: $94.09 (union)Monterey: $84.59 (union)Napa: $84.59 (union)Nevada: $84.59 (union)Orange: —Placer: $84.59 (union)Plumas: $84.59 (union)Riverside: $94.09 (union)Sacramento: $84.59 (union)San Benito: $84.59 (union)San Bernardino: $94.09 (union)San Diego: $94.09 (union)San Francisco: $84.59 (union)San Joaquin: $84.59 (union)San Luis Obispo: $94.09 (union)San Mateo: $84.59 (union)Santa Barbara: $94.09 (union)Santa Clara: $84.59 (union)Santa Cruz: $84.59 (union)Shasta: $84.59 (union)Sierra: $84.59 (union)Siskiyou: $84.59 (union)Solano: $84.59 (union)Sonoma: $84.59 (union)Stanislaus: $84.59 (union)Sutter: $84.59 (union)Tehama: $84.59 (union)Trinity: $84.59 (union)Tulare: —Tuolumne: $84.59 (union)Ventura: $94.09 (union)Yolo: $84.59 (union)Yuba: $84.59 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$84.59n/asurvey rate
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)$40$60$80$100/hrLos Angeles (Los Angeles): market median $53.06, prevailing (union) $94.09, gap +$41.03Los Angeles (Los Angeles)+$41.03Kern (California): market median $56.80, prevailing (union) $94.09, gap +$37.29Kern (California)+$37.29Alameda (San Francisco): market median $65.05, prevailing (union) $84.59, gap +$19.54Alameda (San Francisco)+$19.54
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for boilermakers, metro counties in California.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
InyoUnion BOIL0092-005 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260020
KernUnion BOIL0092-005 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260020
Los AngelesUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260022
MonoUnion BOIL0092-005 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260020
RiversideUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260025
San BernardinoUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260026
San DiegoUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260001
San Luis ObispoUnion BOIL0092-004 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260012
Santa BarbaraUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260014
VenturaUnion BOIL0092-003 2024-01-01$51.98$42.11$94.09CA20260015
AlamedaUnion BOIL0549-001 2021-01-01$45.60$38.99$84.59CA20260018
AlpineUnion BOIL0549-002 2021-01-01$45.60$38.99$84.59CA20260007
ButteUnion BOIL0549-002 2021-01-01$45.60$38.99$84.59CA20260007
CalaverasUnion BOIL0549-001 2021-01-01$45.60$38.99$84.59CA20260018
ColusaUnion BOIL0549-002 2021-01-01$45.60$38.99$84.59CA20260007

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

Is construction work growing in California?

898.7kConstruction jobsCalifornia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k1,200k19901995200020052010201520202025899kAug 2026
Construction employment in California (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
Santa Clara County36,245$125,489$2,413
San Francisco County9,262$117,920$2,268
Alameda County30,452$108,326$2,083
San Mateo County9,114$100,601$1,935
Napa County2,507$99,591$1,915
Tehama County591$98,752$1,899
Contra Costa County14,636$93,476$1,798
Marin County3,891$91,182$1,754
Orange County71,320$90,517$1,741
Solano County6,754$86,478$1,663
Yolo County2,809$86,258$1,659
Sonoma County10,718$85,602$1,646

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in California

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in California?

The median boilermaker in California earned $56.80 an hour ($118,150 a year) in May 2025, 55% above the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $51.45–$62.21; the top 10% earn more than $65.82.

Where does California rank for boilermaker pay?

California ranks 1st of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $56.80 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in California?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for boilermakers in 50 counties, with a typical package of $84.59 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many boilermakers work in California?

BLS counted 720 boilermakers in California in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.61; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California 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.