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Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,115 hours, for FIRER, MARINE (Alternate Title: Fireman, Oiler & Watertender ) (Water Transportation) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Boiler Operator | 0815 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 8,000 hours |
| FIRER, MARINE (Alternate Title: Fireman, Oiler & Watertender ) (Water Transportation) | 1052 | Competency-Based: 2,115 hours Hybrid: 2,115 to 2,644 hours Time-Based: 2,115 hours |
| STATIONARY ENGINEER | 0536 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 6,000 hours Time-Based (V3): 6,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What stationary engineers and boiler operators earn, by state
Illinois has the highest state median for stationary engineers and boiler operators ($115,780) and Louisiana the lowest ($47,750), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $115,780 | $55.66 | 1,680 |
| Wyoming | $111,920 | $53.81 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $103,400 | $49.71 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $94,870 | $45.61 | 270 |
| New York | $94,070 | $45.22 | 4,480 |
| Washington | $91,530 | $44.00 | 520 |
| California | $90,650 | $43.58 | 5,840 |
| District of Columbia | $90,470 | $43.50 | 620 |
| Alaska | $88,330 | $42.47 | 90 |
| Maryland | $85,240 | $40.98 | 850 |
| Michigan | $82,800 | $39.81 | 490 |
| Colorado | $81,310 | $39.09 | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $80,800 | $38.85 | 530 |
| Nevada | $79,110 | $38.03 | 60 |
| Montana | $77,690 | $37.35 | 110 |
| Delaware | $77,630 | $37.32 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $76,560 | $36.81 | 1,400 |
| Utah | $76,490 | $36.77 | 110 |
| Minnesota | $75,850 | $36.47 | 1,440 |
| Ohio | $75,470 | $36.29 | 760 |
| Arizona | $75,410 | $36.26 | 80 |
| New Mexico | $74,480 | $35.81 | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,900 | $35.05 | 1,730 |
| South Carolina | $72,650 | $34.93 | 170 |
| Missouri | $72,620 | $34.91 | 380 |
| Tennessee | $72,470 | $34.84 | 370 |
| Georgia | $70,640 | $33.96 | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $68,450 | $32.91 | 180 |
| Vermont | $68,400 | $32.89 | 70 |
| South Dakota | $68,090 | $32.74 | 90 |
| Oregon | $67,630 | $32.51 | 330 |
| Indiana | $67,560 | $32.48 | 290 |
| Iowa | $67,450 | $32.43 | 190 |
| Kentucky | $66,770 | $32.10 | 90 |
| North Dakota | $66,760 | $32.10 | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $66,180 | $31.82 | 60 |
| Florida | $65,040 | $31.27 | 170 |
| Nebraska | $64,930 | $31.22 | 290 |
| Kansas | $64,490 | $31.00 | 120 |
| Idaho | $64,460 | $30.99 | 120 |
| Virginia | $64,150 | $30.84 | 350 |
| Texas | $63,810 | $30.68 | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $63,330 | $30.45 | 60 |
| Maine | $62,910 | $30.24 | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $61,170 | $29.41 | 270 |
| North Carolina | $60,860 | $29.26 | 220 |
| Arkansas | $58,000 | $27.89 | 200 |
| Mississippi | $53,640 | $25.79 | 200 |
| Alabama | $53,470 | $25.71 | 220 |
| West Virginia | $53,340 | $25.64 | 40 |
| Puerto Rico | $51,320 | $24.67 | 70 |
| Louisiana | $47,750 | $22.96 | 290 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).