Boiler operator
Also called boilerman, boiler worker, boiler tender
Boiler operators maintain heating systems such as low-pressure boilers, high-pressure boilers and power boilers. They work mostly in large buildings like power plants or boiler rooms and ensure a safe and environmentally friendly operation of boiler systems.
What you'd do
Steam engine and boiler operators · ILO- Operating, cleaning, lubricating and monitoring steam engines, boilers and auxiliary equipment such as pumps, compressors and air-conditioning equipment to supply and maintain steam and power for buildings, marine vessels or pneumatic tools
- Analysing and recording instrument readings, troubleshooting and performing minor repairs to prevent equipment or system failure
- Monitoring and inspecting performance of equipment for efficient operation and ensuring boiler water, chemical, and fuel are maintained at required levels
- Firing coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps
- Testing boiler water quality or arrange for testing, adjusting and taking necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits
- Monitoring ship’s engine, machinery and equipment indicators, recording variables and reporting abnormalities to ship’s engineer officer on watch
- Operating and maintaining off-loading liquid pumps and valves
- Indoors and outdoors
- A mix of sitting and standing
- Constant contact with people
- Good freedom to decide
- Usually 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Limited prospectsFewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
About averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among plant and machine operators, and assemblers in the EU, women earn 21% less per hour than men. Plant and machine operators, and assemblers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training in building and civil engineering is the usual route.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.20 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for steam engine and boiler operators. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).