Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-8021 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.
National estimates for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Industry profile for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Geographic profile for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
National estimates for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 29,820 |
2.3 % |
$ 33.90 |
$ 70,510 |
0.6 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 21.28 |
$ 23.93 |
$ 30.53 |
$ 38.81 |
$ 48.41 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 44,260 |
$ 49,760 |
$ 63,500 |
$ 80,730 |
$ 100,690 |
Industry profile for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
4,670 |
0.08 |
$ 36.64 |
$ 76,200 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
2,960 |
0.06 |
$ 43.73 |
$ 90,950 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools |
2,960 |
0.10 |
$ 33.02 |
$ 68,670 |
| State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
2,190 |
0.10 |
$ 34.11 |
$ 70,950 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools |
1,910 |
0.02 |
$ 24.85 |
$ 51,680 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills |
1,060 |
1.21 |
$ 30.55 |
$ 63,550 |
| Facilities Support Services |
1,470 |
0.88 |
$ 36.64 |
$ 76,200 |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation |
580 |
0.66 |
$ 21.36 |
$ 44,420 |
| Water, Sewage and Other Systems |
180 |
0.33 |
$ 33.16 |
$ 68,970 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing |
250 |
0.31 |
$ 22.64 |
$ 47,100 |
Top paying industries for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Outpatient Care Centers |
110 |
0.01 |
$ 52.02 |
$ 108,200 |
| Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) |
2,960 |
0.06 |
$ 43.73 |
$ 90,950 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 41.28 |
$ 85,870 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing |
200 |
0.04 |
$ 40.55 |
$ 84,340 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution |
620 |
0.16 |
$ 40.53 |
$ 84,300 |
Geographic profile for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
5,200 |
0.31 |
1.49 |
$ 40.05 |
$ 83,310 |
| New York |
4,600 |
0.53 |
2.51 |
$ 39.86 |
$ 82,900 |
| Illinois |
1,710 |
0.30 |
1.43 |
$ 42.51 |
$ 88,410 |
| Minnesota |
1,490 |
0.55 |
2.58 |
$ 30.65 |
$ 63,740 |
| New Jersey |
1,460 |
0.38 |
1.79 |
$ 30.49 |
$ 63,410 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| District of Columbia |
750 |
1.13 |
5.33 |
$ 38.87 |
$ 80,850 |
| Minnesota |
1,490 |
0.55 |
2.58 |
$ 30.65 |
$ 63,740 |
| New York |
4,600 |
0.53 |
2.51 |
$ 39.86 |
$ 82,900 |
| Maine |
300 |
0.50 |
2.36 |
$ 26.17 |
$ 54,440 |
| Nebraska |
460 |
0.48 |
2.29 |
$ 25.08 |
$ 52,160 |
Top paying states for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
50 |
0.18 |
0.87 |
$ 42.88 |
$ 89,180 |
| Hawaii |
30 |
0.06 |
0.28 |
$ 42.58 |
$ 88,560 |
| Illinois |
1,710 |
0.30 |
1.43 |
$ 42.51 |
$ 88,410 |
| California |
5,200 |
0.31 |
1.49 |
$ 40.05 |
$ 83,310 |
| New York |
4,600 |
0.53 |
2.51 |
$ 39.86 |
$ 82,900 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
3,920 |
0.45 |
2.13 |
$ 41.70 |
$ 86,730 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
1,740 |
0.30 |
1.43 |
$ 33.52 |
$ 69,730 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
1,300 |
0.44 |
2.09 |
$ 37.13 |
$ 77,230 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
1,180 |
0.28 |
1.32 |
$ 43.46 |
$ 90,400 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
970 |
0.43 |
2.05 |
$ 49.97 |
$ 103,930 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
800 |
0.44 |
2.07 |
$ 31.67 |
$ 65,870 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
620 |
0.23 |
1.11 |
$ 33.64 |
$ 69,960 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
540 |
0.19 |
0.88 |
$ 20.92 |
$ 43,520 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
490 |
0.50 |
2.36 |
$ 42.42 |
$ 88,240 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
470 |
0.18 |
0.86 |
$ 38.16 |
$ 79,370 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Glens Falls, NY |
60 |
1.17 |
5.55 |
$ 25.98 |
$ 54,040 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY |
370 |
0.89 |
4.21 |
$ 29.31 |
$ 60,960 |
| Rochester, MN |
100 |
0.84 |
3.98 |
$ 30.55 |
$ 63,540 |
| Springfield, IL |
80 |
0.84 |
3.96 |
$ 46.31 |
$ 96,310 |
| Kingston, NY |
40 |
0.83 |
3.91 |
$ 31.17 |
$ 64,830 |
| Albany, OR |
40 |
0.82 |
3.86 |
$ 27.62 |
$ 57,450 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ |
90 |
0.81 |
3.83 |
$ 26.21 |
$ 54,510 |
| Billings, MT |
70 |
0.77 |
3.65 |
$ 44.02 |
$ 91,550 |
| Duluth, MN-WI |
90 |
0.75 |
3.56 |
$ 30.49 |
$ 63,420 |
| St. Cloud, MN |
70 |
0.74 |
3.50 |
$ 30.16 |
$ 62,740 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
230 |
0.21 |
1.01 |
$ 51.10 |
$ 106,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
970 |
0.43 |
2.05 |
$ 49.97 |
$ 103,930 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
70 |
0.54 |
2.56 |
$ 47.95 |
$ 99,740 |
| Springfield, IL |
80 |
0.84 |
3.96 |
$ 46.31 |
$ 96,310 |
| Salinas, CA |
60 |
0.38 |
1.78 |
$ 44.71 |
$ 93,000 |
| Billings, MT |
70 |
0.77 |
3.65 |
$ 44.02 |
$ 91,550 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
1,180 |
0.28 |
1.32 |
$ 43.46 |
$ 90,400 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
40 |
0.22 |
1.03 |
$ 42.97 |
$ 89,380 |
| Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA |
490 |
0.50 |
2.36 |
$ 42.42 |
$ 88,240 |
| Modesto, CA |
60 |
0.32 |
1.53 |
$ 42.27 |
$ 87,930 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
