Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in Kentucky

Median $35.97 an hour for 150 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 2000.

$35.97/hrMedian hourly wageKentucky, May data
$74,810/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$28.73 – $42.2710th to 90th percentilehourly range
150Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Boilermaker pay in Kentucky: the full range

Wage percentiles, KentuckyMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$30$40$50$60/hrKentucky: 10th $28.73 · 25th $32.11 · median $35.97 · 75th $38.50 · 90th $42.27Kentucky$35.97$28.73$42.27United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: Kentucky vs United States, May 2025.

Kentucky ranks 26th of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 20th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $39.88). 150 boilermakers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$28.73 – $32.11$59,760 – $66,780roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$32.11 – $38.50$66,780 – $80,090the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$38.50 – $42.27$80,090 – $87,920the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in Kentucky

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrHuntington: $32.22Huntington$32.22
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in Kentucky, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Huntington$32.22$32.22$42.273010% below

Boilermaker wages in Kentucky over time

Kentucky, 2000-2025KentuckyUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$5020002010201520202025$36.74United States$35.97Kentucky
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, Kentucky vs United States, 2000–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearKentucky $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
2000$19.99$37.37$17.80660
2001$19.56$35.56$19.06760
2004$20.23$34.48$21.68400
2006$24.77$39.56$22.58400
2007$25.15$39.05$24.38420
2008$24.11$36.05$25.13590
2009$21.93$32.91$26.97950
2010$22.46$33.16$26.27600
2012$27.46$38.51$27.19180
2013$27.23$37.63$27.74150
2014$24.64$33.51$28.78330
2015$26.49$35.98$28.90300
2016$30.01$40.26$29.84530
2017$38.85$51.03$29.93420
2018$40.83$52.35$29.88460
2019$40.30$50.75$30.34—
2020$40.45$50.32$31.42270
2021$28.90$34.34$30.91—
2022$35.87$39.46$32.1730
2023$35.97$38.01$34.20220
2024$35.26$36.19$35.26300
2025$35.97$35.97$36.74150

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in Kentucky changed by -0.0% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for boilermakers in Kentucky

On federally funded construction in Kentucky, contractors must pay boilermakers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 120 of the 120 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $72.29 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $35.97.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, KYAdair: $72.29 (union)Allen: $72.29 (union)Anderson: $72.29 (union)Ballard: $72.29 (union)Barren: $72.29 (union)Bath: $72.29 (union)Bell: $72.29 (union)Boone: $72.29 (union)Bourbon: $72.29 (union)Boyd: $72.29 (union)Boyle: $72.29 (union)Bracken: $72.29 (union)Breathitt: $72.29 (union)Breckinridge: $72.29 (union)Bullitt: $72.29 (union)Butler: $72.29 (union)Caldwell: $72.29 (union)Calloway: $72.29 (union)Campbell: $72.29 (union)Carlisle: $72.29 (union)Carroll: $72.29 (union)Carter: $72.29 (union)Casey: $72.29 (union)Christian: $72.29 (union)Clark: $72.29 (union)Clay: $72.29 (union)Clinton: $72.29 (union)Crittenden: $72.29 (union)Cumberland: $72.29 (union)Daviess: $72.29 (union)Edmonson: $72.29 (union)Elliott: $72.29 (union)Estill: $72.29 (union)Fayette: $72.29 (union)Fleming: $72.29 (union)Floyd: $72.29 (union)Franklin: $72.29 (union)Fulton: $72.29 (union)Gallatin: $72.29 (union)Garrard: $72.29 (union)Grant: $72.29 (union)Graves: $72.29 (union)Grayson: $72.29 (union)Green: $72.29 (union)Greenup: $72.29 (union)Hancock: $72.29 (union)Hardin: $72.29 (union)Harlan: $72.29 (union)Harrison: $72.29 (union)Hart: $72.29 (union)Henderson: $72.29 (union)Henry: $72.29 (union)Hickman: $72.29 (union)Hopkins: $72.29 (union)Jackson: $72.29 (union)Jefferson: $72.29 (union)Jessamine: $72.29 (union)Johnson: $72.29 (union)Kenton: $72.29 (union)Knott: $72.29 (union)Knox: $72.29 (union)Larue: $72.29 (union)Laurel: $72.29 (union)Lawrence: $72.29 (union)Lee: $72.29 (union)Leslie: $72.29 (union)Letcher: $72.29 (union)Lewis: $72.29 (union)Lincoln: $72.29 (union)Livingston: $72.29 (union)Logan: $72.29 (union)Lyon: $72.29 (union)McCracken: $72.29 (union)McCreary: $72.29 (union)McLean: $72.29 (union)Madison: $72.29 (union)Magoffin: $72.29 (union)Marion: $72.29 (union)Marshall: $72.29 (union)Martin: $72.29 (union)Mason: $72.29 (union)Meade: $72.29 (union)Menifee: $72.29 (union)Mercer: $72.29 (union)Metcalfe: $72.29 (union)Monroe: $72.29 (union)Montgomery: $72.29 (union)Morgan: $72.29 (union)Muhlenberg: $72.29 (union)Nelson: $72.29 (union)Nicholas: $72.29 (union)Ohio: $72.29 (union)Oldham: $72.29 (union)Owen: $72.29 (union)Owsley: $72.29 (union)Pendleton: $72.29 (union)Perry: $72.29 (union)Pike: $72.29 (union)Powell: $72.29 (union)Pulaski: $72.29 (union)Robertson: $72.29 (union)Rockcastle: $72.29 (union)Rowan: $72.29 (union)Russell: $72.29 (union)Scott: $72.29 (union)Shelby: $72.29 (union)Simpson: $72.29 (union)Spencer: $72.29 (union)Taylor: $72.29 (union)Todd: $72.29 (union)Trigg: $72.29 (union)Trimble: $72.29 (union)Union: $72.29 (union)Warren: $72.29 (union)Washington: $72.29 (union)Wayne: $72.29 (union)Webster: $72.29 (union)Whitley: $72.29 (union)Wolfe: $72.29 (union)Woodford: $72.29 (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.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AdairUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260037
AllenUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260099
AndersonUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260018
BallardUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260041
BarrenUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260042
BathUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260018
BellUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260019
BooneUnion BOIL0040-002 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260044
BourbonUnion BOIL0040-002 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260100
BoydUnion BOIL0040-002 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260101
BoyleUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260018
BrackenUnion BOIL0040-002 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260102
BreathittUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260043
BreckinridgeUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260041
BullittUnion BOIL0040-001 2025-01-01$43.85$28.44$72.29KY20260087

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

Is construction work growing in Kentucky?

96.4kConstruction jobsKentucky, 2026-08
+1.3%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202640k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202596kAug 2026
Construction employment in Kentucky (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
Monroe County79$89,609$1,723
Laurel County602$85,874$1,651
Boyd County930$84,083$1,617
Owen County31$80,473$1,548
Grant County269$80,397$1,546
Harrison County65$80,322$1,545
Mason County366$80,276$1,544
Henderson County824$80,139$1,541
Hancock County128$79,869$1,536
Jefferson County15,635$79,698$1,533
Webster County432$78,159$1,503
Garrard County381$77,840$1,497

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Kentucky

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in Kentucky?

The median boilermaker in Kentucky earned $35.97 an hour ($74,810 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $32.11–$38.50; the top 10% earn more than $42.27.

Where does Kentucky rank for boilermaker pay?

Kentucky ranks 26th of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $35.97 an hour, and 20th after adjusting for Kentucky's cost of living (BEA price parity 90.2, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in Kentucky?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for boilermakers in 120 counties, with a typical package of $72.29 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many boilermakers work in Kentucky?

BLS counted 150 boilermakers in Kentucky in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.11; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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