Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-8021.00
Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.20
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 21 hidden tasks25 rated tasks · 4 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (16.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.O*NET Task ID 10476 | 1.0 |
Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.O*NET Task ID 10483 | 1.0 |
Investigate and report on accidents.O*NET Task ID 10491 | 1.0 |
Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems.O*NET Task ID 10485 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (25)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| 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. | Core |
| Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. | Core |
| Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. | Core |
| 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. | Core |
| Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. | Core |
| Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. | Core |
| Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes. | Core |
| Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work. | Core |
| Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools. | Core |
| Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes. | Core |
| Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts. | Core |
| Weigh, measure, and record fuel used. | Core |
| Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development. | Core |
| Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools. | Core |
| Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems. | Core |
| Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters. | Core |
| Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities. | Core |
| Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations. | Core |
| Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps. | Supplemental |
| Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics. | Supplemental |
| Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames. | Supplemental |
| Investigate and report on accidents. | Supplemental |
| Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair. | Supplemental |
1.14/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| 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. | E2 structured facilities |
| Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. | E2 structured facilities |
| Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits. | E2 structured facilities |
| 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. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. | E2 structured facilities |
| 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. | E2 structured facilities |
| Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. | E0 none |
| Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes. | E2 structured facilities |
| Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts. | E0 none |
| Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools. | E0 none |
| Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities. | E0 none |
| Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps. | E2 structured facilities |
| Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 31K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 32K
- Change (2025–35)
- +3.1%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $78,620
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85201 | 냉난방기 관련 설비 조작원 | Same scope | confirmed |
| 85203 | 공조기 설비 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 86201 | 건물 전기 및 전자설비 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
| 14124 | 증기 및 온수 관련 관리자 | Related, not a match | reviewed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 8182Steam Engine and Boiler Operators
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- boiler operatorESCO 8182.1This occupation is broader
Boiler operators maintain heating systems such as low-pressure boilers, high-pressure boilers and power boilers. They work mostly in large buildings like power plants or boiler rooms and ensure a safe and environmentally friendly operation of boiler systems.
- steam engineerESCO 2144.1.20This occupation is broader
Steam engineers provide energy and utilities to facilities, such as steam, heat and refrigeration. They operate and maintain equipment such as boilers and air compressors, and research and develop new methods and improvements for the provision of utilities.
- steam plant operatorESCO 8182.2This occupation is broader
Steam plant operators operate and maintain mechanical equipment such as stationary engines and boilers to provide utilities for domestic or industrial use. They monitor proceedings to ensure compliance with safety regulations, and perform tests to ensure quality.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| I1308 | Chauffagiste | Overlapping, not the sameprovisional |
| H2701 | Technicien / Technicienne d'exploitation en production d'énergie thermique | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8192 | Operadores de calderas y máquinas de vapor | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 25122 | Maschinen- und Anlagenführer/innen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 26232 | Berufe in der Energie- und Kraftwerkstechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 642 | ボイラー・オペレーター | This occupation is broader |
| 649 | その他の定置・建設機械運転従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources