Name of the Career: Boilermaker What Does a Person Working in This Career Do? Boilermakers Fabricate, Erect, Repair, Test and M
Name of the career: Boilermaker
What does a person working in this career do? Boilermakers fabricate, erect, repair, test and maintain all types of boilers, tanks and pressure vessels, heat exchangers, fired heaters, reactors, huge steel containers with thick solid walls, and perform all types of structural and plate work on dust, air, gas, steam, oil, water and other liquid-tight containers.
Why do they do it (purpose of work)? Almost all major industrial, power and manufacturing facilities must have the vessels and exchangers boilermakers install and maintain to operate.
Where do they do it? Boilermakers work in industrial sites, metal fabricating shops, rail transport sites, mining sites, electric power plants, and ship building and maintenance sites. Boilermakers often work on equipment at great heights.
What materials do they use when performing work? Boilermakers work with steel plate, pipe, beams and alloy materials.
What tools are used? Tools such as welding machines, acetylene torches, power grinders, lifting equipment, and metalworking machines such as shears and drill presses are used by boilermakers.
What training is required? Training in the proper installation and maintenance principles is required for each type of equipment worked on. Safety guidelines and methods to protect workers from harm using established safety policies are required for each type of boilermaker work.
How long is training? Initial training is usually two to four years depending of the source of the training.
Where is training offered? Training is offered at Association of Building Contractors (ABC) School.
Are certifications available, and are they required? A person can work as an apprentice without certification, but NCCER certification is required by most area industry to become a journeyman. NCCER certification is given with completion of written and hands-on assessment. An employee with certification will have the opportunity to make top wages.
What are the benefits of certification? The certification is recognized locally and nationally and allows the pipe fitter to achieve top pay.
How secure is a job in this career? As long as there are boilers, tanks, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, fired heaters, and reactors there will be boilermakers that will be keeping them running.
Are jobs available in this career? There are jobs available in the manufacturing and industrial construction industries. The existing work force will have a large number of retiring workers in the next ten years that will need to be replaced with skilled pipe fitter workers.
How many are currently in demand? Yearly demand varies with capital projects and the economy, but is expected to be 20-50 per year.
Where are the jobs available? Contractors in SWLA and SETX are in need of experienced and certified boilermakers. Craft Certification can be taken anywhere there is work or wherever a person desires to live.
How long does it take to reach top pay? It usually takes four years of experience to reach journeyman level, but there are pay increases along the way usually every six months.
What is the pay scale in this career? In SWLA the scale for boilemakers is from $24 to $26 per hour. A person that is motivated can become a supervisor, estimator, planner, etc. and make $28 to $40 and above per hour.
What are the associated job benefits? Most contractors offer health insurance, vacation time, and have 401K plans. The real benefit is taking pride in knowing that you are doing something that is necessary to make the life more enjoyable for others.