What does a stationary engineer do?
Stationary Engineers are employees who are trained to operate machines and equipment. They mainly operate mechanical equipment, boilers, steam engines, and other stationary engines. They are also trained to conduct maintenance checks and basic repairs on such equipment. Stationary Engineers should be able to read gauges on the machines and assess the fuel levels. They are expected to monitor the machines and equipment and to track the operations. They are also expected to record and document the performance of the equipment. Sationary Engineers should know how to test the quality of the machines' outputs. This would help them manage the equipment.
Stationary engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real stationary engineer resumes:
- Manage the uninterrupted operation of boilers and assist with operation and repair of plumbing and electrical.
- Operate and maintain boilers, A/C repairs, chillers, plumbing, and electrical troubleshooting.
- Assist all trades as needed in all aspects of building maintenance (HVAC, electrical, cosmetics, fire alarm).
- Convert flush valves to electronic flush valves on urinals and toilets.
- Assist in the start up and implementation of cooling tower and heat exchanger retrofit.
- Monitor all contractor work ensuring compliance with state, local, and OSHA standards and regulations.
- Ignite burners and opens valves on condensers, pumps and compressors to prepare for systems operation.
- Monitor and adjust the CMMS, maintaining program standards and settings as put forth by JCI.
- Company train in LO/TO, recognize company safety policies and procedures, fire safety, and OSHA requirements.
- Install, repair, and replace urinals, toilets, lavatories, lawn sprinklers and all associate equipment to specify code.
- Operate and preventative maintenance on all ventilation equipment and heating/cooling systems.
- Assist engineer with technical and operational maintenance of HVAC in high-rise commercial building
- Provide specifications for and implement CMMS for all production and facility relate equipment.
- Identify and correct potential health hazards due to improper maintenance of ventilation systems in cafeteria and dormitories.
- Conduct general facilities/grounds maintenance and preform emergency equipment repairs on pumps/boilers, heating/cooling, plumbing and refrigeration systems.
Stationary engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 8% of Stationary Engineers are proficient in HVAC, Preventive Maintenance, and Plumbing. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Troubleshooting skills, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Stationary Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- HVAC, 8%
Assisted engineer with technical and operational maintenance of HVAC in high-rise commercial building
- Preventive Maintenance, 6%
Conducted preventive maintenance and roving shift patrols for all unsupervised equipment to gather pressure, temperature and operational status.
- Plumbing, 6%
Conducted general facilities/grounds maintenance and preformed emergency equipment repairs on pumps/boilers, heating/cooling, plumbing and refrigeration systems.
- Patients, 5%
Monitored fire safety systems and coordinated uninterrupted services to the hospital staff and patients.
- Air Compressors, 5%
Experience operating and maintaining rotary screw and reciprocating air compressors and dryers.
- Steam Boilers, 5%
Performed preventative maintenance and operated all steam boilers
Common skills that a stationary engineer uses to do their job include "hvac," "preventive maintenance," and "plumbing." You can find details on the most important stationary engineer responsibilities below.
The three companies that hire the most stationary engineers are:
- Anheuser-Busch32 stationary engineers jobs
- Arizona State University23 stationary engineers jobs
- Kaiser Permanente18 stationary engineers jobs
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Compare different stationary engineers
Stationary engineer vs. Hvac mechanic
An HVAC mechanic specializes in installing and repairing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities revolve around communicating with clients to identify their needs, troubleshooting, identifying the root of issues, and performing corrective measures. They may also perform regular maintenance checks to ensure that the devices are functioning efficiently and safely. Furthermore, as an HVAC mechanic, it is essential to explain the extent of repairs to the clients and recommend ways to maintain systems in good condition.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between stationary engineers and hvac mechanic. For instance, stationary engineer responsibilities require skills such as "patients," "plant equipment," "auxiliary equipment," and "plant operations." Whereas a hvac mechanic is skilled in "epa," "chillers," "customer service," and "freon." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Hvac mechanics tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $57,885. In contrast, stationary engineers make the biggest average salary, $77,154, in the health care industry.hvac mechanics tend to reach similar levels of education than stationary engineers. In fact, hvac mechanics are 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Stationary engineer vs. Boiler technician
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, stationary engineer responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "ladders," "ventilation," and "troubleshoot." Meanwhile, a boiler technician has duties that require skills in areas such as "hot water," "pump repair," "safety valves," and "boiler water." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Boiler technicians earn similar levels of education than stationary engineers in general. They're 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Stationary engineer vs. Boiler mechanic
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, stationary engineers are more likely to have skills like "hvac," "preventive maintenance," "patients," and "air compressors." But a boiler mechanic is more likely to have skills like "boilers," "safety valves," "arc welding," and "pressure vessels."
Most boiler mechanics achieve a similar degree level compared to stationary engineers. For example, they're 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Stationary engineer vs. High pressure operator
Even though a few skill sets overlap between stationary engineers and high pressure operators, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a stationary engineer might have more use for skills like "preventive maintenance," "plumbing," "patients," and "air compressors." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of high pressure operators require skills like "high-bay," "inventory control," "log book," and "equipment operation. "
The average resume of high pressure operators showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to stationary engineers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.Types of stationary engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
