Skip to main content
FG
FutureGrid
Back to Careers

Boilermakers

Construction and Extraction · SOC 47-2011

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$76,410
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
1,600
Proj. Annual Openings
10,190
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-7.1%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 47-2011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
66/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$76,410
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
1,600
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -2.4%.
Observed/proxy demand
0
FY2025 certified LCAs; 1,847 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlCritical ThinkingEquipment MaintenanceQuality Control Analysis

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.2%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

13.5%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI3%
AI ability · AIOE37.5%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne68%

Top Skills

1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Critical Thinking
4.Equipment Maintenance
5.Quality Control Analysis

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

1
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
0
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$0
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#704 of 776
Rank by Total Volume

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

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.

Common titles: Boiler Installer, Boiler Mechanic, Boiler Repairman, Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech), Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech), Boilermaker

Representative Tasks

  • 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.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Test performance of electrical, electronic, mechanical, or integrated systems or equipment.
  • Test products for functionality or quality.
  • Review blueprints or specifications to determine work requirements.
  • Assemble products or production equipment.
  • Inspect industrial or commercial equipment to ensure proper operation.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotSAP software · hotHealth and safety training software

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.2%
Avg AI Exposure
12
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 47-2011: 2019 — employment: 15,820, median wage: $63,100; 2020 — employment: 14,020, median wage: $65,360; 2021 — employment: 12,920, median wage: $64,290; 2022 — employment: 13,570, median wage: $66,920; 2023 — employment: 11,130, median wage: $71,140; 2025 — employment: 10,190, median wage: $76,410.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.2%
OutlookAverage70% Bright
Median Salary$76,410N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A