Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in North Carolina

Median $23.90 an hour for 150 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.90/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$49,720/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.67 – $38.3510th 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 North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $19.67 · 25th $22.34 · median $23.90 · 75th $36.78 · 90th $38.35North Carolina$23.90$19.67$38.35United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 36th of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 36th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.34). 150 boilermakers work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.67 – $22.34$40,900 – $46,460roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.34 – $36.78$46,460 – $76,510the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$36.78 – $38.35$76,510 – $79,770the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrVirginia Beach: $32.86Virginia Beach$32.86
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Virginia Beach$23.18$32.86$37.589037% above

Boilermaker wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$36.74United States$23.90North Carolina
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.11$27.27$18.09—
2000$12.45$23.28$17.80260
2001$13.40$24.36$19.06250
2002$14.71$26.32$20.17200
2003$16.18$28.31$20.79170
2004$18.29$31.17$21.68130
2005$20.04$33.04$23.10180
2006$21.66$34.59$22.58150
2007$19.48$30.25$24.38260
2008$21.41$32.01$25.13360
2009$22.29$33.45$26.97400
2010$22.52$33.25$26.27380
2011$22.86$32.72$27.36240
2012$21.31$29.88$27.19160
2013$24.52$33.89$27.7490
2014$26.71$36.32$28.78160
2015$23.14$31.43$28.90220
2016$24.04$32.25$29.84270
2017$23.84$31.31$29.93210
2018$29.88$38.31$29.88110
2019$28.33$35.68$30.34240
2020$27.28$33.93$31.42—
2021$23.46$27.87$30.91170
2022$31.60$34.76$32.17—
2023$29.71$31.39$34.20110
2024$22.00$22.58$35.26160
2025$23.90$23.90$36.74150

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in North Carolina changed by -24.0% over the last ten years of data.

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

299.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-08
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025299kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (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
Northampton County143$90,853$1,747
Clay County123$88,869$1,709
Mecklenburg County26,786$81,939$1,576
Wake County26,700$78,996$1,519
Lenoir County1,318$78,808$1,516
Randolph County2,578$76,487$1,471
Guilford County9,330$76,294$1,467
Union County6,038$75,738$1,456
Halifax County387$74,980$1,442
Rowan County2,616$74,689$1,436
Polk County190$73,921$1,422
Graham County288$73,214$1,408

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in North Carolina?

The median boilermaker in North Carolina earned $23.90 an hour ($49,720 a year) in May 2025, 35% below the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $22.34–$36.78; the top 10% earn more than $38.35.

Where does North Carolina rank for boilermaker pay?

North Carolina ranks 36th of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $23.90 an hour, and 36th after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in North Carolina?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a boilermaker classification for most North Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many boilermakers work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 150 boilermakers in North Carolina in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.47; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina 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.