How to Become a Boilermaker: Training, Wages & Outlook

Boilermaking is one of the highest-paying and least-known construction trades. Boilermakers build, install, maintain, and repair boilers, pressure vessels, storage tanks, heat exchangers, and other large metal containers used in power plants, refineries, chemical plants, and industrial facilities. The work is heavy, technical, and often requires extensive travel — but the pay reflects it.

If you're a strong worker who doesn't mind being on the road and you want to earn among the highest wages in the building trades, boilermaking deserves a close look. Here's what you need to know.

What Boilermakers Do

Boilermakers work with large-scale metal fabrication and assembly in industrial settings:

New construction involves building boilers, tanks, and pressure vessels from scratch — reading blueprints, laying out and fitting plates and tubes, welding heavy-gauge steel, and assembling components that must withstand extreme heat and pressure. New construction work happens at power plants, refineries, paper mills, and chemical facilities.

Maintenance and repair keeps existing equipment running. Boilermakers inspect, patch, retube, and reline boilers and pressure vessels during scheduled maintenance outages. This is where the "shutdown" or "turnaround" work comes in — industrial facilities shut down periodically for maintenance, creating intense bursts of demand for boilermakers.

Shutdown/turnaround work is the defining feature of the boilermaker trade. Refineries, power plants, and chemical plants schedule major maintenance shutdowns that last weeks or months. During turnarounds, dozens or hundreds of boilermakers descend on a facility to work long hours (often 10-12 hour days, 6-7 days a week) to complete the work within a tight window. The pay during shutdowns is exceptional — overtime and per diem stack up quickly.

Demolition and decommissioning involves safely dismantling retired boilers, tanks, and industrial equipment. This work requires knowledge of hazardous materials handling and confined space procedures.

Training Paths

Union Apprenticeship (Boilermakers International)

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers runs one of the most comprehensive apprenticeship programs in the trades. The program is 4 years:

8,000 hours of on-the-job training
Classroom instruction at the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program (BNAP) training centers covering welding, rigging, blueprint reading, metallurgy, and safety
Welding certifications included as part of the training — boilermakers are expected to be highly proficient welders
Starting wages at 50-65% of the journeyman rate, with regular increases
Full benefits (health insurance, pension, annuity) from day one

First-year apprentices earn $22-28/hour depending on the local market. Journeyman boilermakers earn $32-55/hour, with total compensation packages on shutdown work regularly exceeding $100/hour when overtime and per diem are included.

Search boilermaker apprenticeships on SkillPlum.

Trade School and Welding Programs

There are few dedicated boilermaking certificate programs, but welding programs provide an excellent foundation. Boilermakers need to be skilled welders — SMAW (stick), GMAW (MIG), GTAW (TIG), and FCAW are all used in boiler work. A welding certificate from a trade school, combined with rigging and blueprint reading skills, makes you a competitive apprenticeship applicant.

Compare boilermaking programs on SkillPlum.

Pre-Apprenticeship

Some Boilermakers locals offer pre-apprenticeship or orientation programs that introduce candidates to the trade before the formal apprenticeship begins. These programs test your aptitude and give you a realistic preview of the work.

Certifications

Boilermaking is a certification-heavy trade because the work involves pressure vessels and high-temperature systems where failure can be catastrophic:

ASME Welding Certifications — the American Society of Mechanical Engineers sets the standards for pressure vessel welding. Boilermakers must hold current ASME welding certifications for the specific processes and positions required by each job
OSHA 10/30 — standard construction safety certifications. OSHA 30 is expected for all boilermakers, not just supervisors
NCCER Boilermaker Certification — the National Center for Construction Education and Research offers tiered boilermaker certifications recognized industry-wide
Rigging and signaling certifications — boilermakers regularly rig and move heavy components. Qualified rigger certification is essential
Confined space entry — much of boilermaker work occurs inside boilers, tanks, and vessels. Confined space certification is non-negotiable
Scaffold competent person — boilermakers frequently erect and work from scaffolding inside large vessels

Wages

Boilermaker wages are among the highest in the construction trades:

Apprentice (year 1): $22-28/hour
Apprentice (year 3-4): $34-48/hour
Journeyman boilermaker: $32-55/hour
Foreman: $40-62/hour
National median: roughly $32/hour ($65,000/year)

The median doesn't tell the full story. Boilermakers who work shutdowns and turnarounds routinely earn $80,000-130,000+ annually because of the overtime and per diem that come with travel work. A journeyman boilermaker working steady shutdown schedules can earn over $150,000 in a good year.

Per diem (tax-free daily living allowances for travel work) adds $50-100+/day on top of wages. Combined with 50-60 hour work weeks at time-and-a-half, shutdown pay adds up fast.

Job Outlook

The BLS projects about 4% growth for boilermakers through 2032. The installed base of boilers and pressure vessels in refineries, power plants, and chemical facilities requires ongoing maintenance regardless of new construction activity. As these systems age, maintenance demand increases.

The energy transition is also creating work — natural gas power plants, biomass facilities, and industrial heat recovery systems all use boilers and pressure vessels. Nuclear plant maintenance is another growing area. Boilermakers who can adapt to new energy technologies will find steady demand.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

Exceptional pay — among the highest-paying trades in construction
Strong union representation — Boilermakers International provides excellent training, wages, and benefits
Shutdown work pays extremely well — overtime and per diem create high earning potential
Highly skilled trade — the combination of welding, rigging, and pressure vessel work commands respect and top wages
Industrial demand is durable — boilers and pressure vessels need maintenance for as long as they exist

Cons:

Extensive travel — shutdown work takes you away from home for weeks or months at a time
Physically grueling — heavy lifting, confined spaces, heat exposure, and long hours
Dangerous work environment — high-pressure systems, confined spaces, and extreme heat are inherent risks
Irregular schedule — feast-or-famine work patterns. Shutdowns may overlap, or there may be gaps
Hard on relationships — the travel demands strain personal and family life

Getting Started

Contact your local Boilermakers lodge — search boilermaker apprenticeships on SkillPlum and reach out to your nearest lodge about apprenticeship openings and application timelines
Learn to weld first — welding proficiency is the single most important prerequisite. Consider a welding program or community college welding classes to build a foundation
Get your OSHA 30 — the 30-hour certification (not just the 10) is standard in the boilermaking trade
Build physical fitness — boilermaking demands strength, endurance, and the ability to work in heat and confined spaces. Get in peak condition before you start
Be honest about travel — if being away from home for extended periods is a dealbreaker, this may not be the right trade. Talk to working boilermakers about the lifestyle before you commit

Explore boilermaking trade schools and apprenticeships on SkillPlum, or read our welding career guide for a related trade that shares many of the same skills.