Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Overview

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators has a national median salary of $78,620 per year, with +3.1% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Support
• Relationships
• Working Conditions

Work Styles

Responsibilities

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.

Work Activities

• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Processing Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Detailed Work Activities

• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a bachelor's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Bachelor's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:

Video Resources