---
title: "Boilermaker Apprenticeship: How It Works and Pays"
description: "How boilermaker apprenticeships work: training length, welding and rigging skills, travel for outages, how to apply and May 2025 BLS boilermaker pay."
url: https://shapemycareer.com/apprenticeships/boilermaker/
updated: 2026-10-11
site: ShapeMyCareer
---

Apprenticeships · Boilermaker

# Boilermaker apprenticeship

Welding, rigging and travel to big industrial jobs.

Earn while you learn

Boilermaker apprentices learn to build and repair boilers, tanks and pressure vessels, mostly in power plants, refineries and heavy industry.

In short

Boilermaker apprenticeships typically last about four years, combining paid work with classes in welding, rigging, blueprint reading and safety. Most are run by the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers with contractors. Boilermakers earned a median $76,410 in May 2025, per BLS. Much of the work comes in outage seasons, so expect travel and long shifts.

**Sources checked October 11, 2026** Pay, training and outlook come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay is the middle (median) figure nationally; your first paycheck in the trade will usually be lower.

| Middle pay | $76,410 a year, roughly $36.74 an hour (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| How most people start | High school or GED to start, then apprenticeship |
| People in the trade | About 10,200 nationwide (2025) |
| Growth to 2035 | Projected a decline of 1.8% |
| Openings a year | Around 700, counting retirements |

From the [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm) Employment Projections table (2025 to 2035) and May 2025 wage survey. These are U.S. numbers. Local shops may pay above or below them, and apprentices start well under the middle figure.

## What you learn

- Code welding on pressure parts
- Rigging heavy components
- Reading drawings and layout
- Confined space and fall protection safety

### Find boilermaker training

Tell us your ZIP and we will send programs and apprenticeship leads nearby.

[Find training near me](#smc-form)

## Straight answers

### How long is a boilermaker apprenticeship?

About four years in many programs.

### Do boilermakers travel?

Often, following plant shutdowns and outages.

### Do I need welding experience to apply?

It helps but is not always required.

## Where this comes from

- [BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025 to 2035)](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm)
- [Boilermakers in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/boilermakers.htm)
- [BLS OOH: Boilermakers](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/boilermakers.htm)
- [International Brotherhood of Boilermakers](https://boilermakers.org/)
- [Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor](https://www.apprenticeship.gov/)

## Keep looking

- [Boilermaker](https://shapemycareer.com/trades/boilermaker/)
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