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.
Also called: Auxiliary Operator · Boiler Operator · Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech) · Operating Engineer · Operator · Plant Utilities Engineer
Median pay (national)
$75,190
$47,310–$121,200 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
30,780
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.2%
~3,800 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $121,200 versus $47,310 at the bottom 10% — 2.6x. The median of $75,190 leaves roughly 61% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.2% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 3,800 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Illinois pays the most for this role (median $112,230, +49% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $38,240 — a 193% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Writing
- Science
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.
- Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations.
- 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.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP
- SAP software
- Building management system software
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Database software
- Graphics software
- Operational Data Store ODS software
- Statistical software
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical
- Chemistry
- Public Safety and Security
- Physics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics