Job Description - Boilermaker:
A boilermaker manufactures, installs and fixes boilers, tanks and vats. Boilers heat the liquid, usually water, that is used to generate electric power or provide heat to buildings, factories or ships. Tanks and vats are storage containers for chemicals, oil and other liquids.
Employment Facts - Boilermaker:
There were 20,000 boilermakers employed in 2008.
Educational Requirements - Boilermaker:
To become a boilermaker one usually goes through a formal apprenticeship which includes about four years of paid on-the-job training combined with classroom instruction. These apprenticeships are offered by unions or employers. To become an apprentice, one must be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Alternatively one could attend classes at a trade or technical school and combine that with employer-provided training.
Advancement Opportunities - Boilermaker:
Some boilermaker, with experience, move into supervisory positions.
Job Outlook - Boilermaker:
Boilermaker can expect faster than average employment growth through 2018.
Earnings - Boilermaker:
Boilermakers earned a median annual salary of $56,100 and median hourly wages of $26.97 in 2009 (U.S.).
Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much a boilermaker currently earns in your city.
A Day in a Boilermaker's Life:
On a typical day a boilermaker's tasks might include:
- installing, performing maintenance on or repairing a boiler
- installing, performing maintenance on or repairing a vat or tank
- erecting and repairing air pollution equipment, blast furnaces, water treatment plants, storage and process tanks, and smoke stacks
- installing refractory brick and other heat-resistant materials in fireboxes or pressure vessels
- studying design drawings and creating full size patterns or templates of a product before building it
Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Boilermaker, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos221.htm (visited January 20, 2011).
Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Boilermaker, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/47-2011.00 (visited January 20, 2011).
