Headline risk
8%
Low RiskStationary engineers and boiler operators
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
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.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 75,190
Employment 2024
33.3K
Projected Change (2024–34)
2.2%
Openings (2024–34)
3.8K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Employment of stationary engineers and boiler operators is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. AI use: 0%
- 2. 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. AI use: 0%
- 3. Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. AI use: 0%
- 4. Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. AI use: 0%
- 5. Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. AI use: 0%
- 6. 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. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 48.6 · 108K employed
Under 25: 2% · 25–54: 63% · 55+: 36%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
title_match · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Stationary engineers and boiler operators control stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment.
The majority of stationary engineers and boiler operators work in manufacturing, government, educational services, and hospitals. Those who work in facilities that operate around the clock often work evenings and weekends. Shift work also is common.
Stationary engineers and boiler operators need at least a high school diploma or equivalent and are trained either on the job or through an apprenticeship program. Many employers require stationary engineers and boiler operators to demonstrate competency through licenses or company-specific exams before they are allowed to operate equipment without supervision.
The median annual wage for stationary engineers and boiler operators was $75,190 in May 2024.
Employment of stationary engineers and boiler operators is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.