Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Moderate Risk
50%

Where Would You Like to Go Next?

Share your results with friends and family.
Get results for another job Compare to another job

Or, Explore This Profession in Greater Detail...

Vote Comments (4)
AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
44%
(Moderate Risk)
POLLING
56%
(Moderate Risk, Based on 49 votes)
Average: 50%
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
4.1%
by year 2033
WAGES
$67,640
or $32.52 per hour
Volume
33,840
as of 2023
SUMMARY
What does this snowflake show?
The Snowflake is a visual summary of the five badges: Automation Risk (calculated), Risk (polled), Growth, Wages and Volume. It gives you an instant snapshot of an occupations profile. The colour of the Snowflake relates to its size. The better the occupation scores in relation to others, the larger and greener the Snowflake becomes.
JOB SCORE
4.6/10
What's this?
Job Score (higher is better):

We rate jobs using four factors. These are:

- Chance of being automated
- Job growth
- Wages
- Volume of available positions

These are some key things to think about when job hunting.

People also viewed

Computer Programmers Electricians Lawyers Chemical Plant and System Operators Web Developers

Calculated automation risk

44% (Moderate Risk)

Moderate Risk (41-60%): Occupations with a moderate risk of automation usually involve routine tasks but still require some human judgment and interaction.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

  • Manual Dexterity

  • Finger Dexterity

User poll

56% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted they are unsure if this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 44% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators' job openings is expected to rise 4.1% by 2033

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2023 and 2033
Updated projections are due 09-2025.

Wages

High paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators' was $67,640, or $33 per hour

'Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators' were paid 40.7% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Lower range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 33,840 people employed as 'Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 4 thousand people are employed as 'Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators'.

Job 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.

SOC Code: 51-8021.00

Comments (4)

GP (Low)
09 May 2023 19:42
Like others have said. There is a small chance stationary engineers will be replaced by aI because we are the ones controlling/maintaining the machines.
DJH (Low)
13 Mar 2021 19:25
By law in our state, a licensed operator must be on the premises when the boiler is in operation. Also required by the insurance company. 15 of our 20 operators are over 60 years old, & we are shorthanded by 2 or 3. Seems hard to believe the insurance companies will go along with a change in the law that will open them up to massive liability if a boiler explodes. More likely a 30 year old will have a lifetime job.
MB (Low)
14 Jul 2020 19:17
NFPA 85 requires trained operators to perform startups and initiate restarts from various conditions. Until this is changed, experienced operators will be needed.
MrH (Uncertain)
25 Apr 2019 15:26
Dangerous equipment usually requires some human presence as a safeguard, but crews with multiple engineers may face massive layoffs.
Leave a reply about this occupation
0/8000