Engine room operator vs boiler plant operator

The differences between engine room operators and boiler plant operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an engine room operator and a boiler plant operator. Additionally, a boiler plant operator has an average salary of $46,119, which is higher than the $37,546 average annual salary of an engine room operator.

The top three skills for an engine room operator include troubleshoot, math and safety procedures. The most important skills for a boiler plant operator are plant equipment, boiler water, and auxiliary equipment.

Engine room operator vs boiler plant operator overview

	Engine Room Operator	Boiler Plant Operator
Yearly salary	$37,546	$46,119
Hourly rate	$18.05	$22.17
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	61,977	36,427
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age	50	50
Years of experience	2	2

What does an engine room operator do?

An Engine Room Operator is one who operates and monitors the engines of a ship. This person is responsible for inspecting the engine, managing its operation, and reporting immediately any problems and requests for repairs, troubleshoots, and upgrades for the engine. The maintenance inside the engine room is essential for the continued operation of the ship. Included in the responsibilities is ensuring the engine area's safety and its personnel from any problems, such as fires, preventable mishaps, and accidents.

What does a boiler plant operator do?

A boiler plant operator is primarily in charge of operating and monitoring boilers to ensure they function safely and efficiently. Their daily responsibilities often include starting and shutting down boilers, conducting safety and maintenance inspections, tracking the water levels and gauges, checking fuel supplies, and recording daily readings while adhering to the protocols and standards. There are also times when they must perform basic repairs and adjustments, control the pressure and chemical levels, inspect fluids, and produce regular progress reports for managers.

Engine room operator vs boiler plant operator salary

Engine room operators and boiler plant operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Engine Room Operator	Boiler Plant Operator
Average salary	$37,546	$46,119
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $49,000	Between $32,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Sacramento, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Gillette
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between engine room operator and boiler plant operator education

There are a few differences between an engine room operator and a boiler plant operator in terms of educational background:

	Engine Room Operator	Boiler Plant Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 38%	Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians
Most common college	-	-

Engine room operator vs boiler plant operator demographics

Here are the differences between engine room operators' and boiler plant operators' demographics:

	Engine Room Operator	Boiler Plant Operator
Average age	50	50
Gender ratio	Male, 55.7% Female, 44.3%	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.2% White, 58.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	4%	4%

Differences between engine room operator and boiler plant operator duties and responsibilities

Engine room operator example responsibilities.

Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Maintain and enroll guests in the AMC movie watcher program.
Maintain cleanliness and presentation of fitting room and designate daily zone.
Operate, run, and fix all machines in juice room.
Used leadership skills to assign duties to others in the dining hall.
Make sure that sponges, needles, and instruments count is complete.

Boiler plant operator example responsibilities.

Manage and perform preventive maintenance, electrical repairs, millwright work, and MSHA safety functions.
Install preventative maintenance programs and perform maintenance which include: electrical, plumbing, electronics etc.
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
Attend shipboard firefighting school at NDCTC Philadelphia.
Work in law enforcement, corrections, quality control and shipboard firefighting instructor while on shore duty.

Engine room operator vs boiler plant operator skills

Common engine room operator skills

Troubleshoot, 15%
Math, 11%
Safety Procedures, 10%
Cleanliness, 10%
Surgical Procedures, 9%
Data Entry, 8%

Common boiler plant operator skills

Plant Equipment, 11%
Boiler Water, 10%
Auxiliary Equipment, 10%
Water Pumps, 8%
Fuel Oil, 7%
HVAC, 6%

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Engine Room Operator
Engine Room Operator vs Boiler Plant Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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