Trade Career Comparison

Which trade career fits you best?

Boilermaker

Assemble, install, and repair boilers, closed vats, and other large vessels for liquids and gases.

$64,290/yr median

$40,120$87,800

Little/No ChangeVery HeavyUnion: HighEntry: Moderate

Training Path

4 year apprenticeship

Environment

Indoor/Outdoor

Outlook

Little/No Change (0%)

BLS Code

47-2011

Pros

✓Among the highest-paid industrial trades — boilermakers earn strong wages, especially during shutdown and travel work.
✓Very strong union (International Brotherhood of Boilermakers) with excellent benefits, pension, and travel work coordination.
✓Critical infrastructure work — power plants, refineries, and industrial facilities need boilermakers to maintain pressure vessels and boilers.
✓Travel work pays extremely well — per diem, overtime, and premium rates can push annual earnings well into six figures.
✓Specialized skills that few people possess, creating job security for qualified workers.

Cons

✗One of the most physically grueling trades — working inside boilers and pressure vessels in extreme heat with heavy tools is punishing.
✗Extensive travel is often required — shutdown work takes you to industrial facilities across the country for weeks at a time.
✗Exposure to extreme heat, confined spaces, hazardous materials (including asbestos in older facilities), and noise is routine.
✗The work is inherently dangerous — high-pressure systems, welding in confined spaces, and working at height create serious hazards.
✗Flat job outlook — the move away from coal power plants has reduced some traditional boilermaker work, though other sectors remain stable.
✗The toll on family life is real — frequent travel and unpredictable schedules make it hard to maintain relationships and be present at home.

What the Life Is Like

Boilermakers build, repair, and maintain boilers, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and storage tanks in power plants, refineries, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities. The work often takes place inside these vessels — imagine crawling through a manway into a vessel that was recently operating at hundreds of degrees, then performing precision welding in a confined space while wearing full protective equipment.

The schedule depends on the type of work. Local maintenance work may offer a more regular schedule, but much boilermaker work involves traveling to industrial facilities for planned shutdowns (turnarounds). During these periods, you might work 10-12 hour shifts, 6-7 days a week, for 3-6 weeks at a time. The pay during these shutdowns is exceptional — with overtime and per diem, some boilermakers earn $100K-$150K+ annually. The culture is tough and direct. Boilermakers are proud of doing work that few others can handle.

The physical demands are extreme. You work in confined spaces at high temperatures, carry heavy tools and materials, weld in awkward positions, and operate rigging equipment. Hearing protection, respiratory protection, and fall protection are daily requirements, not occasional needs. This is not a trade for someone looking for light physical work — but for those who can handle it, the compensation and sense of accomplishment are substantial.

How to Get Started

Apply to a Boilermakers union apprenticeship

The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers runs apprenticeship programs through local lodges across the country. Applications typically require a high school diploma or GED, passing an aptitude test, a physical exam, and a drug screening.

Prepare with relevant experience or training

Welding training at a trade school, prior construction or industrial experience, or military service can strengthen your application. Any welding experience is particularly valuable, as welding is a core boilermaker skill.

Complete the 4-year apprenticeship

Training combines on-the-job work at industrial sites with classroom instruction at the Boilermakers National Apprenticeship Program facility. You will learn welding (multiple processes), rigging, blueprint reading, boiler and pressure vessel codes, and safety procedures.

Earn welding certifications and ASME code knowledge

Boilermakers need welding certifications for pressure vessel work, governed by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. These certifications are rigorous but essential for the highest-paying work.

Be willing to travel for work

The best-paying boilermaker work requires traveling to where the shutdowns are happening. The union dispatch system helps coordinate work assignments across the country. Willingness to travel, especially early in your career, leads to more hours and faster skill development.

Felony Record & Licensing

Varies by State

State licensing varies. Some states require background checks for boiler operator/installer licenses.

Check your state's licensing board before enrolling in a program. Rules vary significantly.

Training Funding & Support

Pell Grants Are Available Again

As of July 2023, the FAFSA no longer asks about drug convictions. The FAFSA Simplification Act restored Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students. If a past drug conviction kept you from financial aid before, you can apply again.

WIOA Workforce Funding

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds free job training, career counseling, and supportive services (transportation, work clothes, childcare) for people reentering the workforce. Contact your local American Job Center (careeronestop.org) to see what's available in your area.

Ban-the-Box & Fair Chance Hiring

Over 37 states and 150+ cities have "ban-the-box" or fair chance hiring laws that prevent employers from asking about criminal history on job applications. Many require waiting until after an interview or conditional job offer. These laws are expanding rapidly — check your state's specific rules.

Licensing laws vary by state and change frequently. This is general guidance, not legal advice. Always verify with your state's licensing board before enrolling in a training program.

Data last verified March 2026 · View sources

We verify our data against official sources. Verification dates show when we last checked — they do not guarantee the information is still current. Laws, rates, and thresholds can change at any time. Always confirm critical information at the official source or with a qualified professional.

National Employment Law Project (NELP) — Fair Chance Hiring

General trade accessibility levels for people with felony convictions — categorized as generally-accessible, varies-by-state, often-restricted, or highly-restricted

https://www.nelp.org/policy-issue/criminal-records-and-employment/

Verified March 2026

trade-schools.net — Jobs for Felons

Trade accessibility and reentry employment guidance for specific trades

https://www.trade-schools.net/articles/jobs-for-felons

Verified March 2026

Hire Felons — Reentry Employment Guide

Employer reentry hiring policies and trade accessibility for people with felony convictions

https://www.hirefelons.org/

Verified March 2026

ASE — About ASE Testing

ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification — no criminal history screening

https://www.ase.com/certification-series/

Verified March 2026

OSHA — Powered Industrial Trucks

OSHA forklift certification — employer-provided, no criminal history screening

https://www.osha.gov/powered-industrial-trucks

Verified March 2026

EPA — Section 608 Technician Certification

EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification — no criminal history screening

https://www.epa.gov/section608

Verified March 2026

Federal Student Aid — FAFSA Simplification Act

Pell Grant eligibility restored for people with drug convictions and incarcerated individuals, effective July 1, 2023; PELL_GRANT_RESTORED_DATE: "July 2023"

FAFSA Simplification Act, Pub. L. 117-103 (2021); 20 U.S.C. § 1070a

https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/fafsa-simplification

Verified March 2026

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) — Ban the Box Legislation

Ban-the-box and fair chance hiring laws — 37+ states + DC + 150+ localities as of 2026; BAN_THE_BOX_STATE_COUNT: 37; BAN_THE_BOX_CITY_COUNT: 150

https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/ban-the-box-legislation

Verified March 2026

NELP — Ban the Box: U.S. Cities, Counties, and States

Fair chance hiring law coverage — 37+ states + DC + 150+ localities; BAN_THE_BOX_PRIVATE_EMPLOYER_STATES: ["California", "Illinois", "New Jersey", "Washington"]

https://www.nelp.org/publication/ban-the-box-fair-chance-hiring-state-and-local-guide/

Verified March 2026

U.S. Department of Labor — Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO)

WIOA Section 169 workforce funding for reentry — job training, career counseling, and supportive services

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, 29 U.S.C. § 3224; WIOA Sec. 169

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/reentry

Verified March 2026

Legal Information Institute — 18 U.S.C. § 922

18 U.S.C. § 922(g) — federal prohibition on felons possessing firearms, effectively barring law enforcement careers

18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1)

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/922

Verified March 2026