Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-8021.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$78,620
Employment, U.S.28,250
Median hourly wage$37.80
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,590 | $63,160 | $78,620 | $101,150 | $125,390 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 220 | $53,470 | 0.57 |
| Alaska | 90 | $88,330 | 1.52 |
| Arizona | 80 | $75,410 | 0.13 |
| Arkansas | 200 | $58,000 | 0.84 |
| California | 5,840 | $90,650 | 1.76 |
| Colorado | 560 | $81,310 | 1.08 |
| Connecticut | 270 | $94,870 | 0.87 |
| Delaware | 40 | $77,630 | 0.47 |
| District of Columbia | 620 | $90,470 | 4.89 |
| Florida | 170 | $65,040 | 0.10 |
| Georgia | 240 | $70,640 | 0.27 |
| Hawaii | 70 | $103,400 | 0.59 |
| Idaho | 120 | $64,460 | 0.79 |
| Illinois | 1,680 | $115,780 | 1.52 |
| Indiana | 290 | $67,560 | 0.50 |
| Iowa | 190 | $67,450 | 0.67 |
| Kansas | 120 | $64,490 | 0.45 |
| Kentucky | 90 | $66,770 | 0.25 |
| Louisiana | 290 | $47,750 | 0.82 |
| Maine | 290 | $62,910 | 2.46 |
| Maryland | 850 | $85,240 | 1.70 |
| Massachusetts | 530 | $80,800 | 0.80 |
| Michigan | 490 | $82,800 | 0.61 |
| Minnesota | 1,440 | $75,850 | 2.69 |
| Mississippi | 200 | $53,640 | 0.94 |
| Missouri | 380 | $72,620 | 0.72 |
| Montana | 110 | $77,690 | 1.22 |
| Nebraska | 290 | $64,930 | 1.56 |
| Nevada | 60 | $79,110 | 0.20 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | $66,180 | 0.48 |
| New Jersey | 1,400 | $76,560 | 1.80 |
| New Mexico | 100 | $74,480 | 0.66 |
| New York | 4,480 | $94,070 | 2.55 |
| North Carolina | 220 | $60,860 | 0.25 |
| North Dakota | 140 | $66,760 | 1.76 |
| Ohio | 760 | $75,470 | 0.75 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $68,450 | 0.57 |
| Oregon | 330 | $67,630 | 0.92 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,730 | $72,900 | 1.57 |
| Rhode Island | 60 | $63,330 | 0.63 |
| South Carolina | 170 | $72,650 | 0.40 |
| South Dakota | 90 | $68,090 | 1.09 |
| Tennessee | 370 | $72,470 | 0.62 |
| Texas | 890 | $63,810 | 0.35 |
| Utah | 110 | $76,490 | 0.36 |
| Vermont | 70 | $68,400 | 1.18 |
| Virginia | 350 | $64,150 | 0.47 |
| Washington | 520 | $91,530 | 0.80 |
| West Virginia | 40 | $53,340 | 0.28 |
| Wisconsin | 270 | $61,170 | 0.51 |
| Wyoming | 100 | $111,920 | 1.98 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geothermal Technicians | 1-2 | 0.979 |
| 2 | Biomass Plant Technicians | 1-2 | 0.977 |
| 3 | Power Plant Operators | 1-2 | 0.973 |
| 4 | Ship Engineers | 3 | 0.973 |
| 5 | Nuclear Technicians | 3 | 0.971 |
| 6 | Biofuels Processing Technicians | 1-2 | 0.969 |
| 7 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 3 | 0.966 |
| 8 | Gas Plant Operators | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 9 | Chemical Plant and System Operators | 1-2 | 0.965 |
| 10 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 1-2 | 0.964 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geothermal Technicians | Installation | 1.24 | 0.979 |
| Biomass Plant Technicians | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.977 |
| Ship Engineers | Critical Thinking | 0.76 | 0.973 |
| Nuclear Technicians | Social Perceptiveness | 1.00 | 0.971 |
| Biofuels Processing Technicians | Social Perceptiveness | 0.87 | 0.969 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | Learning Strategies | 0.88 | 0.961 |
| Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | Mathematics | 1.00 | 0.960 |
| Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers | Installation | 1.00 | 0.951 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | Equipment Maintenance | 0.87 | 0.950 |
| Millwrights | Installation | 1.50 | 0.948 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, excluding software Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 10 of 20 | 7.4x |
| Distributed control system DCS | 5 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software | 3 of 20 | 6.6x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 4 of 20 | 1.1x |
| Structured query language SQL | 3 of 20 | 0.9x |
| Microsoft Windows | 4 of 20 | 0.8x |
| Microsoft Access | 5 of 20 | 0.6x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 3.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.38 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | 4.06 | 4.90 |
| Chemistry | 3.40 | 4.43 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.32 | 3.96 |
| Physics | 3.18 | 3.72 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.16 | 3.62 |
| English Language | 3.10 | 2.97 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.08 | 3.31 |
| Mathematics | 3.07 | 3.53 |
| Production and Processing | 3.06 | 2.76 |
| Building and Construction | 2.97 | 3.71 |
| Administration and Management | 2.92 | 2.98 |
| Education and Training | 2.71 | 3.58 |
| Law and Government | 2.64 | 2.61 |
| Design | 2.62 | 3.00 |
| Communications and Media | 2.41 | 2.37 |
| Administrative | 2.35 | 2.15 |
| Telecommunications | 2.27 | 2.27 |
| Transportation | 2.15 | 2.08 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.99 | 1.17 |
| Psychology | 1.86 | 1.97 |
| Biology | 1.79 | 1.46 |
| Geography | 1.70 | 1.16 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 1.63 | 1.03 |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.62 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.49 | 0.97 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.45 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.28 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.25 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.23 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.19 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.13 | not rated |
| Foreign Language | 1.02 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Near Vision | 3.88 | 3.62 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Selective Attention | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Control Precision | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Reaction Time | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Written Expression | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Far Vision | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Static Strength | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.50 | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Response Orientation | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Depth Perception | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Originality | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Rate Control | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Memorization | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Number Facility | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Stamina | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.12 | 1.62 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.12 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.62 | 1.25 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.62 | 1.12 |
| Night Vision | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- Building management system software
- Computerized maintenance management system CMMS
- Database software
- Email software
- Graphics software
- Operational Data Store ODS software
- Statistical software
- Web browser software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo, CA | 110 | 4.33 | $123,170 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 320 | 3.87 | $66,620 |
| Salinas, CA | 120 | 3.48 | $66,440 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 100 | 3.35 | $68,550 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 300 | 3.07 | $69,260 |
| Syracuse, NY | 160 | 3.02 | $67,430 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 520 | 2.67 | $99,840 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 110 | 2.45 | $76,510 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 980 | 2.27 | $129,930 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 3,810 | 2.21 | $104,810 |