SOC 51-8021.00

    Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

    Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes.

    Median pay
    $78,620
    Growth
    +3.1%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    3,200
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $50,590
    Median
    $78,620
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $125,390
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    28,250 people work in this occupation.

    What stationary engineers and boiler operators do

    Job Zone 3: Medium preparation

    Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.

    Usually vocational training, an associate degree or related experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    36 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    2 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    4 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    57 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    86
    Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
    85
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    82
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    80
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    77
    Getting Information
    76
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    76
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    76
    Processing Information
    75
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    72
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Equipment Maintenance
    • Repairing
    • Troubleshooting
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Coordination

    Knowledge

    • Mechanical
    • Chemistry
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Physics
    • Engineering and Technology
    • English Language
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Mathematics
    • Production and Processing
    • Building and Construction

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Auditory Attention

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Air Compressor Engineer · Air Compressor Operator · Air Conditioning Engineer (AC Engineer) · Air Plant Engineer · Auxiliary Operator · Blowing Engineer · Boiler Engineer · Boiler Fireman · Boiler Operator · Boiler Plant Equipment Mechanic

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What stationary engineers and boiler operators may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    15 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

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    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.