How to hire stationary engineers and boiler operators
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$37.80U.S. median hourly pay
$63,160–$101,150Middle half, yearly
28,250People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners. • Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. • Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. • Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely. • Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. • Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. • Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools. • Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, active learning, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • Working knowledge of mechanical • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $37.80 an hour ($78,620 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for stationary engineers and boiler operators
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about something new you had to learn quickly for work. How did you learn it?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What stationary engineers and boiler operators do
- Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners.
- Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.
- Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.
- Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely.
- Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.
- Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.
- Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools.
- Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for stationary engineers and boiler operators
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.1% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 3,200 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay stationary engineers and boiler operators
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $115,780 |
| New York | $94,070 |
| Washington | $91,530 |
| California | $90,650 |
| District of Columbia | $90,470 |
| Ohio | $75,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,900 |
| Texas | $63,810 |
See stationary engineers and boiler operators pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Power Plant Operators
- Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
- Mechanical Engineers
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- Gas Plant Operators
- Power Distributors and Dispatchers
- Boilermakers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.