Production
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
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.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$78,620USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$37.80USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $50,590 | $24.32 |
| 25th | $63,160 | $30.37 |
| 50th · Median | $78,620 | $37.80 |
| 75th | $101,150 | $48.63 |
| 90th | $125,390 | $60.28 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Air Compressor EngineerAir Compressor OperatorAir Conditioning Engineer (AC Engineer)Air Plant EngineerAuxiliary OperatorBlowing EngineerBoiler EngineerBoiler FiremanBoiler OperatorBoiler Plant Equipment MechanicBoiler Plant OperatorBoiler Room Operator
Expand more title examples (48)
Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech)Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech)Breaker EngineerByproduct EngineerCompressor OperatorCooling System OperatorCooling Tower OperatorDiesel Stationary EngineerEngineerEnginemanExhaust WorkerExhauster EngineerFan Engine EngineerFan RunnerGas Engine OperatorHeating and Ventilating WorkerHeating Operators EngineerHigh Pressure Boiler OperatorHumidifier AttendantHVAC Mechanic Boiler Operator (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Mechanic Boiler Operator)Low Pressure Boiler OperatorLow Pressure Boiler TenderLow Pressure FirerMarine FirerOiler and Watertender FiremanOperating EngineerOperating Power Plant Combustion EngineerOperatorPlant EngineerPlant Utilities EngineerPlugmanPower House AttendantPower House EngineerPower House Stationary EngineerPower House TenderPower OperatorPower Station OperatorPump House EngineerPump House OperatorPumping Station EngineerRecovery Boiler OperatorRefrigerating EngineerRefrigeration EngineerRetort FirerStationary Boiler FiremanStationary EngineerStationary FiremanStationary Steam Engineer
Typical tasks
- Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools.
- Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners.
- Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.
- Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.
- Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.
- Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.
Expand more tasks (19)
- Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits.
- Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely.
- Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work.
- Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts.
- Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes.
- Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools.
- Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.
- Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters.
- Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems.
- Weigh, measure, and record fuel used.
- Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations.
- Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools.
- Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes.
- Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities.
- Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps.
- Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics.
- Investigate and report on accidents.
- Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair.
- Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames.
Skills used in this work
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Expand more skills (29)
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
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