Median annual wages by state — BLS OEWS, May 2025 (published for 37 of 51 states)
Boilermakers build, install, and repair boilers, pressure vessels, and heavy industrial tanks — the massive steel systems inside power plants, refineries, and mills. Much of the work runs on outages and shutdowns: intense stretches of work, serious overtime, and travel between job sites. For those who can handle the schedule, few trades pay better per hour worked.
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers apprenticeship — application, aptitude test, and physical. Welding experience improves your ranking.
Rigging, fitting, and welding fundamentals at escalating wage percentages.
Code welding qualification and outage work. Travel begins — and so does the serious money.
Full scale plus outage overtime. Specialize in tube welding or move toward foreman and superintendent roles.
Your skills and interests may align with more than one trade. Compare before committing.
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