Skilled Wages

Boilermaker salary in Wisconsin

Median $46.92 an hour for 170 boilermakers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$46.92/hrMedian hourly wageWisconsin, May data
$97,590/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$28.89 – $49.5510th to 90th percentilehourly range
170Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Boilermaker pay in Wisconsin: the full range

Wage percentiles, WisconsinMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$20$30$40$50$60/hrWisconsin: 10th $28.89 · 25th $29.70 · median $46.92 · 75th $48.34 · 90th $49.55Wisconsin$46.92$28.89$49.55United States: 10th $24.28 · 25th $31.13 · median $36.74 · 75th $45.88 · 90th $53.06United States$36.74
Hourly wage percentiles for boilermakers: Wisconsin vs United States, May 2025.

Wisconsin ranks 6th of 37 states for median boilermaker pay, and 4th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $49.86). 170 boilermakers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$28.89 – $29.70$60,090 – $61,770roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$29.70 – $48.34$61,770 – $100,550the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$48.34 – $49.55$100,550 – $103,060the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Boilermaker pay by metro in Wisconsin

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrMinneapolis: $50.69Minneapolis$50.69
Median hourly wage for boilermakers by metro area in Wisconsin, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Minneapolis$41.80$50.69$53.29—8% above

Boilermaker wages in Wisconsin over time

Wisconsin, 1999-2025WisconsinUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$46.92Wisconsin$36.74United States
Median hourly wage for boilermakers, Wisconsin vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearWisconsin $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$22.82$44.10$18.09—
2000$20.10$37.58$17.80—
2001$20.04$36.43$19.06—
2002$20.84$37.29$20.17380
2003$20.79$36.38$20.79—
2004$20.76$35.38$21.68—
2005$21.12$34.82$23.1070
2006$25.47$40.67$22.58—
2007$27.76$43.10$24.38—
2008$29.73$44.46$25.13350
2009$28.75$43.14$26.97340
2010$30.70$45.33$26.27170
2011$28.33$40.55$27.36190
2012$31.37$43.99$27.19310
2013$29.82$41.21$27.74260
2014$31.83$43.29$28.78260
2015$32.72$44.44$28.90240
2016$31.86$42.74$29.84230
2017$33.55$44.06$29.93190
2018$30.05$38.53$29.88110
2019$21.98$27.68$30.3480
2020$19.33$24.05$31.4280
2021$19.11$22.70$30.91170
2022$29.71$32.68$32.17200
2023$32.10$33.92$34.20110
2024$46.83$48.06$35.26170
2025$46.92$46.92$36.74170

In today's dollars, the median boilermaker wage in Wisconsin changed by +5.6% over the last ten years of data and by +69.5% since 2019.

Are there more boilermaker jobs in Wisconsin?

0.1Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 11th of 33 states

BLS counted 170 boilermakers in Wisconsin in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 35%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for boilermakers in Wisconsin

-3.5%Projected growth in Wisconsin2024–2034, state agency
10Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
170Jobs in 2024160 projected for 2034
-1.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Wisconsin's labor market agency projects the number of boilermakers in the state to change by -3.5% between 2024 and 2034, from 170 to 160, with about 10 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects -1.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 170 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for boilermakers in Wisconsin

On federally funded construction in Wisconsin, contractors must pay boilermakers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 72 of the 72 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $81.15 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $46.92.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, WIAdams: $81.15 (union)Ashland: $81.15 (union)Barron: $81.15 (union)Bayfield: $81.15 (union)Brown: $81.15 (union)Buffalo: $81.15 (union)Burnett: $81.15 (union)Calumet: $81.15 (union)Chippewa: $81.15 (union)Clark: $81.15 (union)Columbia: $81.15 (union)Crawford: $81.15 (union)Dane: $81.15 (union)Dodge: $81.15 (union)Door: $81.15 (union)Douglas: $81.15 (union)Dunn: $81.15 (union)Eau Claire: $81.15 (union)Florence: $81.15 (union)Fond du Lac: $81.15 (union)Forest: $81.15 (union)Grant: $81.15 (union)Green: $81.15 (union)Green Lake: $81.15 (union)Iowa: $81.15 (union)Iron: $81.15 (union)Jackson: $81.15 (union)Jefferson: $81.15 (union)Juneau: $81.15 (union)Kenosha: $81.15 (union)Kewaunee: $81.15 (union)La Crosse: $81.15 (union)Lafayette: $81.15 (union)Langlade: $81.15 (union)Lincoln: $81.15 (union)Manitowoc: $81.15 (union)Marathon: $81.15 (union)Marinette: $81.15 (union)Marquette: $81.15 (union)Menominee: $81.15 (union)Milwaukee: $81.15 (union)Monroe: $81.15 (union)Oconto: $81.15 (union)Oneida: $81.15 (union)Outagamie: $81.15 (union)Ozaukee: $81.15 (union)Pepin: $81.15 (union)Pierce: $81.15 (union)Polk: $81.15 (union)Portage: $81.15 (union)Price: $81.15 (union)Racine: $81.15 (union)Richland: $81.15 (union)Rock: $81.15 (union)Rusk: $81.15 (union)St. Croix: $81.15 (union)Sauk: $81.15 (union)Sawyer: $81.15 (union)Shawano: $81.15 (union)Sheboygan: $81.15 (union)Taylor: $81.15 (union)Trempealeau: $81.15 (union)Vernon: $81.15 (union)Vilas: $81.15 (union)Walworth: $81.15 (union)Washburn: $81.15 (union)Washington: $81.15 (union)Waukesha: $81.15 (union)Waupaca: $81.15 (union)Waushara: $81.15 (union)Winnebago: $81.15 (union)Wood: $81.15 (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
AdamsUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
AshlandUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
BarronUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
BayfieldUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
BrownUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260014
BuffaloUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
BurnettUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
CalumetUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260016
ChippewaUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260006
ClarkUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
ColumbiaUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
CrawfordUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
DaneUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260005
DodgeUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011
DoorUnion BOIL0107-001 2025-01-01$46.52$34.63$81.15WI20260011

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Wisconsin prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Wisconsin?

160.1kConstruction jobsWisconsin, 2026-09
+5.0%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025160kSep 2026
Construction employment in Wisconsin (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. Across the 65 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 67,193 in 2015 to 92,281 in 2025, +37.3%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Bayfield County43271$111,909$2,152
Racine County3323,219$97,833$1,881
Milwaukee County8949,679$90,054$1,732
Waukesha County1,03414,002$89,440$1,720
Fond du Lac County1781,784$88,767$1,707
Outagamie County4706,024$86,801$1,669
Winnebago County2633,218$85,901$1,652
Dodge County1701,226$84,364$1,622
Dane County85810,631$83,128$1,599
Brown County4925,798$79,780$1,534
Marathon County2652,174$79,227$1,524
Dunn County76566$78,118$1,502

Keep comparing

Boilermaker pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Wisconsin

More on Wisconsin

Questions this page answers

How much do boilermakers make in Wisconsin?

The median boilermaker in Wisconsin earned $46.92 an hour ($97,590 a year) in May 2025, 28% above the national median of $36.74. The middle half earn $29.70–$48.34; the top 10% earn more than $49.55.

Where does Wisconsin rank for boilermaker pay?

Wisconsin ranks 6th of 37 states for boilermaker pay, with a median of $46.92 an hour, and 4th after adjusting for Wisconsin's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.1, US = 100).

What is the union boilermaker rate in Wisconsin?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for boilermakers in 72 counties, with a typical package of $81.15 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many boilermakers work in Wisconsin?

BLS counted 170 boilermakers in Wisconsin in May 2025, 0.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.91; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is boilermaker work growing in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin's labor market agency projects -3.5% growth for boilermakers between 2024 and 2034, from 170 to 160 jobs.

How many boilermaker openings a year are there in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin projects about 10 openings a year for boilermakers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 700 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Wisconsin and metro areas, SOC 47-2011. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Wisconsin labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.