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Boilermakers in California

Thinking about a career as a Boilermakers in California? Here’s what you need to know. Construct, assemble, maintain, and repair stationary steam boilers and boiler house auxiliaries. Align structures or plate sections to assemble boiler frame tanks or vats, following blueprints. Work involves use of hand and power tools, plumb bobs, levels, wedges, dogs, or turnbuckles. Assist in testing assembled vessels. Direct cleaning of boilers and boiler furnaces. Inspect and repair boiler fittings, such as safety valves, regulators, automatic-control mechanisms, water columns, and auxiliary machines.

What do Boilermakers Make in California?

The boilermakers working in California, the median annual wage is $107,600 per year (or roughly $51.73/hour).Annual wages span from $74,690 at the 10th percentile to $127,020 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$74,690	$35.91
25th percentile	$107,450	$51.66
Median (50th)	$107,600	$51.73
75th percentile	$122,240	$58.77
90th percentile	$127,020	$61.07

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in California relative to the national average — is 0.58, indicating fewer boilermakers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, boilermakers earn a median of $84,334 per year ($40.55/hour), exceeding the California median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 457,983 boilermakers nationwide. In California alone, about 690 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 170 boilermakers.

Top California Metros for Boilermakers

The largest metro-area employers of boilermakers in California.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	400	$107,600
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	50	$138,790

Top States for Boilermakers Employment

View the states that employ the most boilermakers work.

State	Number Employed
Texas	2,440
Louisiana	1,620
California	690
Michigan	500
Pennsylvania	460
New Jersey	310
Kentucky	300
Tennessee	290
Mississippi	250
Alabama	240
Georgia	230
Ohio	210
Indiana	200
Virginia	200
Wisconsin	170
North Carolina	160
Washington	150
Illinois	150
New York	120
Wyoming	110

Highest-Paying States for Boilermakers

The highest-paying states for boilermakers.

State	Annual Median Salary
South Carolina	$124,400
Washington	$113,970
California	$107,600
Minnesota	$102,730
Wisconsin	$97,410
Illinois	$95,340
Pennsylvania	$87,710
Colorado	$86,980
Connecticut	$85,480
Indiana	$83,500

Skills

The most important boilermakers skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for boilermakers, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, boilermakers typically:

• Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers.
• Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
• Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
• Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
• Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
• Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof joints.
• Locate and mark reference points for columns or plates on boiler foundations, following blueprints and using straightedges, squares, transits, or measuring instruments.
• Shape or fabricate parts, such as stacks, uptakes, or chutes, to adapt pressure vessels, heat exchangers, or piping to premises, using heavy-metalworking machines such as brakes, rolls, or drill presses.
• Position, align, and secure structural parts or related assemblies to boiler frames, tanks, or vats of pressure vessels, following blueprints.
• Clean pressure vessel equipment, using scrapers, wire brushes, and cleaning solvents.
• Repair or replace defective pressure vessel parts, such as safety valves or regulators, using torches, jacks, caulking hammers, power saws, threading dies, welding equipment, or metalworking machinery.
• Attach rigging and signal crane or hoist operators to lift heavy frame and plate sections or other parts into place.

Work Activities

• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Autodesk AutoCAD

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Boilermaking

Related Careers

Other careers like boilermakers include:

• Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Sheet Metal Workers
• Structural Iron and Steel Workers
• Helpers–Electricians
• Helpers–Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
• Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers

Also Known As

Assembler, Boiler Control Technician (Boiler Control Tech), Boiler Erector, Boiler Fitter, Boiler Installer, Boiler Maker, Boiler Mechanic, Boiler Reliner, Boiler Repairman, Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech), Boiler Setter, Boiler Shop Mechanic, Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech), Boiler Tester, Boiler Welder.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 47-2011.00