How much do boilermakers make in Indiana in 2026?

The median boilermaker in Indiana earns $91,410 a year, which works out to roughly $43.95 an hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. That is a solid number by any measure, and it sits well above what many other construction and manufacturing trades pull in across the state. If you are sizing up this trade or negotiating your next job, start with that figure as your benchmark.

Pay spreads out considerably depending on where you land on the experience curve. The 25th percentile — workers newer to the trade or in lower-demand markets — comes in at $67,120 a year, or about $32.27 an hour. The 75th percentile reaches $106,780 a year, roughly $51.34 an hour. That $39,660 gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter tells you this is a trade where experience, certifications, and the right employer make a real difference in your paycheck.

Boilermakers in Indiana work across a range of industries — power generation plants, refineries, paper mills, steel facilities, and industrial manufacturing sites. The northwest corner of the state, anchored by the steel corridor around Gary and Hammond, draws significant boilermaker work tied to heavy industrial maintenance and new construction. Central Indiana, including the Indianapolis metro, sees demand from power plants and large HVAC and industrial boiler installations. Workers who are willing to travel between sites or take short-term assignments at plants in different regions of the state can often access the higher end of the pay scale more quickly than those who stay in one location.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Boilermakers are frequently called in for planned outages, turnarounds, and emergency repairs, all of which generate premium pay on top of base wages. A worker at the median base rate of $43.95 an hour earns $65.93 for every overtime hour at time-and-a-half. A turnaround that runs six or seven days a week for several weeks can push annual earnings well above what the base wage figures suggest. The BLS OEWS data captures straight-time wage rates and does not reflect overtime, per diem, or travel pay — so actual take-home for active boilermakers often exceeds what the percentile figures show.

Apprenticeship is the standard path into the trade. Boilermaker apprenticeships typically run four to five years and combine on-the-job hours with technical classroom instruction covering blueprint reading, welding, rigging, and pressure vessel codes. Apprentices start earning wages from day one, with pay stepping up at regular intervals through the program. By the time you complete an apprenticeship, your skills are documented and your wage rate reflects it. Some workers may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

Welding certifications are one of the clearest ways to move your pay up within the trade. Certified welders who can qualify on multiple processes — stick, TIG, flux-core — are in higher demand at industrial sites and tend to land the better-paying assignments. Pressure vessel inspector credentials and rigging certifications also add value. Workers who hold current qualifications on multiple fronts are rarely the first ones laid off when a project winds down.

If you are already working as a boilermaker in Indiana and your pay is closer to the 25th percentile, look hard at who is hiring for turnaround and outage work. That segment of the industry tends to pay more than steady in-plant maintenance positions, and the intense schedule periods can accelerate both your earnings and your skill development. The $106,780 that the 75th percentile represents is not out of reach — it reflects workers who have been strategic about the type of work they take and the certifications they carry.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.