# 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.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 51-8021.00
- **Summary:** 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.

## Aliases

- Boiler Operator
- Operating Engineer
- Stationary Engineer
- Utilities Operator
- Auxiliary Operator
- Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech)
- Operator
- Plant Utilities Engineer
- Recovery Boiler Operator
- Stationary Steam Engineer
- Air Compressor Engineer
- Air Compressor Operator

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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. | Core | 4.A.3.a.3.b |
| 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. | Core | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. | Core | 4.A.2.b.1.b |
| Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.m |
| Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. | Core | 4.A.3.b.6.h |
| Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits. | Core | 4.A.1.b.2.c |
| Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics. | Supplemental | 4.A.4.b.4.j |
| Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely. | Core | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work. | Core | 4.A.3.a.3.g |
| Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts. | Core | 4.A.3.b.4.c |

## Emerging Tasks


## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Operate pumping systems or equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.b |
| Operate energy production equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.g |
| Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning. | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products. | 4.A.1.b.2.c |
| Adjust equipment controls to regulate gas flow. | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of water, cleaning solutions, or other liquids. | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Monitor equipment fluid levels. | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Ignite fuel to activate heating equipment. | 4.A.3.a.2.m |
| Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions. | 4.A.1.a.2.a |
| Inspect production equipment. | 4.A.1.b.2.g |
| Troubleshoot equipment or systems operation problems. | 4.A.2.b.1.b |
| Record operational or production data. | 4.A.3.b.6.h |
| Adjust flow of electricity to tools or production equipment. | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Operate energy distribution equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.g |
| Clean production equipment. | 4.A.3.a.1.c |
| Lubricate production equipment. | 4.A.3.b.5.a |
| Repair production equipment or tools. | 4.A.3.b.4.c |
| Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes. | 4.A.1.b.3.a |
| Plan production or operational procedures or sequences. | 4.A.2.b.6.b |
| Assemble electromechanical or hydraulic systems. | 4.A.3.a.2.d |
| Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions. | 4.A.4.b.1.a |
| Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning. | 4.A.1.b.2.l |
| Maintain production or processing equipment. | 4.A.3.b.5.a |
| Direct operational or production activities. | 4.A.4.b.4.j |
| Exchange information with colleagues. | 4.A.4.a.2.c |
| Investigate accidents to determine causes. | 4.A.1.a.1.u |
| Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards. | 4.A.4.a.2.g |
| Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance. | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Operate industrial equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.f |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mechanical | knowledge | 4.06 |
| Operations Monitoring | transferable_skill | 4 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 3.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 3.5 |
| Chemistry | knowledge | 3.4 |
| Operation and Control | transferable_skill | 3.38 |
| Public Safety and Security | knowledge | 3.32 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 3.25 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 3.25 |
| Equipment Maintenance | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Troubleshooting | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Repairing | transferable_skill | 3.25 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 3.25 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 3.25 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3.25 |
| Perceptual Speed | ability | 3.25 |
| Physics | knowledge | 3.18 |
| Engineering and Technology | knowledge | 3.16 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | essential_skill | 3.12 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 3.12 |
| Coordination | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Complex Problem Solving | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 3.12 |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | ability | 3.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | ability | 3.12 |
| Manual Dexterity | ability | 3.12 |
| Finger Dexterity | ability | 3.12 |
| Control Precision | ability | 3.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | ability | 3.12 |
| Reaction Time | ability | 3.12 |
| Auditory Attention | ability | 3.12 |
| English Language | knowledge | 3.1 |
| Computers and Electronics | knowledge | 3.08 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 3.07 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Equipment Maintenance | Specialized Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Selection | Specialized Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Installation | Specialized Skill |
| Statistical Software | Specialized Skill |
| Graphics Software | Specialized Skill |
| Email Software | Specialized Skill |
| Database Software | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Biology | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Presentation Software | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP | Web platform development software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | no |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | no |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | yes | no |
| Building management system software | Facilities management software | no | no |
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | Facilities management software | no | no |
| Database software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | no | no |
| Graphics software | Graphics or photo imaging software | no | no |
| Operational Data Store ODS software | Data base user interface and query software | no | no |
| Statistical software | Analytical or scientific software | no | no |
| Web browser software | Internet browser software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Telephone Conversations | 4.8 |
| Contact With Others | 4.73 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.67 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 4.66 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.64 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 4.6 |
| E-Mail | 4.57 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 4.55 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 4.47 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | 4.29 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 4.28 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 4.26 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.25 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 4.23 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 4.21 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4.19 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 4.08 |
| Consequence of Error | 4.07 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 4.02 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Equipment | 3.99 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 3.94 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 3.94 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 3.91 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 3.85 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 3.8 |
| Time Pressure | 3.74 |
| Exposed to High Places | 3.66 |
| Spend Time Standing | 3.58 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 3.55 |
| Physical Proximity | 3.41 |
| Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions | 3.41 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 3.4 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 3.38 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 3.36 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 3.28 |
| Conflict Situations | 3.26 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 3.23 |
| Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment | 3.11 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 3.06 |
| Level of Competition | 3.01 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 3
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- **Experience:** Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- **Svp Range:** (6.0 to < 7.0)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 47.15 |
| High School Diploma | 37.8 |
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.52 |
| Some College Courses | 4.53 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 7 |
| Mechanics/Electronics | specific_interest_area | 5.89 |
| Engineering | specific_interest_area | 4.86 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.4 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 3.16 |
| Dependability | work_style | 3 |
| Physical/Manual Labor | specific_interest_area | 2.84 |
| Cautiousness | work_style | 2.62 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 2.57 |
| Physical Science | specific_interest_area | 2.04 |
| Integrity | work_style | 1.82 |
| Mathematics/Statistics | specific_interest_area | 1.79 |
| Stress Tolerance | work_style | 1.67 |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | specific_interest_area | 1.66 |
| Information Technology | specific_interest_area | 1.65 |
| Perseverance | work_style | 1.64 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 51-8013.00 | role-51-8013-00 | Power Plant Operators | Primary-Short |
| 51-8013.03 | role-51-8013-03 | Biomass Plant Technicians | Primary-Short |
| 49-9012.00 | role-49-9012-00 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | Primary-Short |
| 53-7071.00 | role-53-7071-00 | Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators | Primary-Short |
| 17-2141.00 | role-17-2141-00 | Mechanical Engineers | Primary-Short |
| 49-9099.01 | role-49-9099-01 | Geothermal Technicians | Primary-Long |
| 51-8013.04 | role-51-8013-04 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | Primary-Long |
| 49-9021.00 | role-49-9021-00 | Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | Primary-Long |
| 51-8092.00 | role-51-8092-00 | Gas Plant Operators | Primary-Long |
| 51-8012.00 | role-51-8012-00 | Power Distributors and Dispatchers | Primary-Long |
| 47-2011.00 | role-47-2011-00 | Boilermakers | Supplemental |
| 49-9041.00 | role-49-9041-00 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Advanced Manufacturing | advanced-manufacturing |

## Education Level

- **Category:** High school diploma or equivalent

## Study Programs


## Market

- **Median Wage:** 75190
- **Mean Wage:** 79710
- **Pct10Wage:** 47310
- **Pct25Wage:** 60110
- **Pct75Wage:** 96420
- **Pct90Wage:** 121200
- **Employment:** 30780
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 62 | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | Sector | 6370 | 78950 | 1.38 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 5270 | 68490 | 2.07 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 4630 | 72370 | 1.7 |
| 72 | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | Sector | 3600 | 50920 | 1.27 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 1820 | 77950 | 1.01 |
| 53 | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | Sector | 660 | 94500 | 1.4 |
| 22 | 22 | Utilities | Sector | 610 | 102490 | 5.27 |
| 71 | 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | Sector | 370 | 51930 | 0.7 |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 340 | 56160 | 0.21 |
| 221112 | 221112 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | National industry | 280 | 102490 | 19.67 |
| 54 | 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Sector | 270 | 84850 | 0.13 |
| 721120 | 721120 | Casino Hotels | National industry | 250 | 53040 | 3.72 |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 221112 | 221112 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | National industry | 280 | 19.67 |
| 22 | 22 | Utilities | Sector | 610 | 5.27 |
| 721120 | 721120 | Casino Hotels | National industry | 250 | 3.72 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 5270 | 2.07 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 4630 | 1.7 |
| 53 | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | Sector | 660 | 1.4 |
| 62 | 62 | Health Care and Social Assistance | Sector | 6370 | 1.38 |
| 72 | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | Sector | 3600 | 1.27 |
- **Count:** 21

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.89 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | -0.5032496 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | -0.3852146 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | -0.579769 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 29
- **Percentile:** 28
- **Band:** Low
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 35 | felten_aioe |
| 23 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 28 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | -0.5032496 | 35 | Moderate | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.18604651162790697 | 23 | Low | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.09380937909360595 | 28 | Low | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.89
- **Percentile:** 76
- **Band:** High
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** no

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0.13953488372093023
- **Beta:** 0.16279069767441862
- **Gamma:** 0.18604651162790697

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. | 0.0017460323981446867 | 4.32 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 2.2
- **Growth Percentile:** 43
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 3.8
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 41
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 33.3
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 34

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 25
- **Skills:** 40
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 15
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 73d44128bb631439