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Boston Career Explorer

Production

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.

Also called: Auxiliary Operator, Boiler Operator, Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech), Operating Engineer, Operator, Plant Utilities Engineer

Median pay in Greater Boston
$83,950
$40.36/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
340
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.8%
70 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$67,940$77,660$83,950$91,550$108,820

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners.
  • Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.
  • Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.
  • Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.
  • Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure29 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 34
  • Language-model AIOE 30
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 23

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with reading gauges, tracking data, and spotting problems in equipment readings. Running valves, adjusting fuel and air, and fixing equipment still need a trained person on site.

Likely to change

  • Watching gauge and meter readings
  • Logging boiler water and fuel levels

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on valve and equipment adjustments
  • Fixing problems to keep systems running

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

    You already work with valves and gauges. This job repairs and records work on control devices and valves, and pays more in Boston.

    Pay difference
    +$11,570 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.8%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

    Your steam, pump, and valve experience carries over to pipe systems. An apprenticeship leads to higher pay and growing demand.

    Pay difference
    +$12,810 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.5%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

    Diagnosing equipment problems and following technical specs carry over. This job needs a postsecondary award and offers higher pay.

    Pay difference
    +$9,330 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.5%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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