How To Become A Boiler Plant Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a boiler plant operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The chief duty of a boiler plant operator is to operate and monitor boilers, ensuring that they are working safely and efficiently. The tasks of a boiler plant operator also include delivering fuel to boilers, monitoring meters and gauges, and adjusting chemical and water levels when needed.

Additional tasks typically include conducting safety inspections, recording daily readings, monitoring inventory of fuel supplies, and generatomg progress reports for the perusal of managers. At times, they may also be responsible for training new staff in the boiler room.

Applicants with at least a high school diploma or GED may readily qualify for this role. However, some employers also require formal boiler operation certification from an accredited program. Furthermore, applicants must have adequate experience working directly with boilers or in a boiler room environment.

Given the potentially hazardous nature of this job, a boiler room operator must have the physical strength, mental alertness, and knowledge of safety protocols to perform their duties in the safest way possible. For these requirements, the compensation is fair at $50,000 per year, on average.

ScoreBoiler Plant OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $46,119

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.48%

Asian 8.18%

Black or African American 12.01%

Hispanic or Latino 16.30%

Unknown 4.68%

White 58.36%

Gender

female 2.15%

male 97.85%

Age - 52

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 52

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a boiler plant operator

Explore boiler plant operator education requirements

Most common boiler plant operator degrees

Bachelor's

31.6 %

High School Diploma

29.8 %

Associate

15.8 %

Start to develop specific boiler plant operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Plant Equipment	11.02%
Boiler Water	10.47%
Auxiliary Equipment	9.84%
Water Pumps	7.53%
Fuel Oil	6.63%

Complete relevant boiler plant operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New boiler plant operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a boiler plant operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real boiler plant operator resumes.

Research boiler plant operator duties and responsibilities

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Conduct maintenance repair of plumbing systems throughout university.
Prepare asphalt mixtures per customer requirements, load and unload tankers and monitor tanks and assist with paperwork

Prepare your boiler plant operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your boiler plant operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a boiler plant operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable boiler plant operator resume templates

Build a professional boiler plant operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your boiler plant operator resume.