How much do boilermakers make in North Carolina in 2026?

Boilermakers in North Carolina earn a median wage of $49,720 per year, which works out to roughly $23.90 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's the midpoint — half of boilermakers in the state earn more, half earn less. If you're just starting out or working in a lower-demand region, expect to land closer to the 25th percentile at $46,460 annually ($22.34/hr). Experienced hands with specialized skills or strong seniority can push into the 75th percentile at $76,510 per year, or about $36.78 an hour.

The gap between the bottom quartile and the top quartile is significant — roughly $30,000 a year separates the 25th from the 75th percentile. That spread reflects real differences in experience, certification level, the type of work being performed, and the industries hiring in a given area. A boilermaker doing maintenance work at a small industrial facility will typically land lower than one doing pressure vessel fabrication or field erection at a power generation plant or refinery.

North Carolina's industrial base is the main driver of demand for boilermakers in the state. Paper mills, chemical plants, electric utilities, and manufacturing facilities all require ongoing boilermaker work — both new construction and maintenance shutdowns. The heavier the industrial concentration in your area, the more leverage you have on pay. Areas near the Piedmont's manufacturing corridor or coastal industrial sites tend to see more consistent work than rural regions.

Overtime is a significant factor in what boilermakers actually take home. Shutdown and turnaround work — which is common in the industries where boilermakers are concentrated — often means extended hours and mandatory overtime. A worker at the median hourly rate of $23.90 earning 10 hours of overtime per week over a 10-week shutdown would add roughly $3,585 to their income for that stretch alone, before factoring in any premium pay rates beyond straight time.

Certifications matter. Boilermakers who hold current weld certifications — particularly for pressure vessel work under ASME standards — are more valuable to contractors and direct-hire employers alike. The same goes for those who hold documented rigging or elevated work qualifications. These credentials don't guarantee the top of the pay band, but they make it easier to get there and to stay employed between larger projects.

No union scale data is available for boilermakers in North Carolina through TradesPays at this time. Union contracts, where they exist, typically establish minimum hourly rates, overtime rules, and benefit contributions separately from what BLS wage data captures. If you're working through a union hall, your local's collective bargaining agreement is the most accurate source for your base rate and total package.

The BLS OEWS figures here are gross wages — they don't include employer contributions to health insurance, retirement plans, or per diem payments that some contractors offer on travel or remote jobs. Depending on your employer, those benefits can add meaningful value on top of your hourly rate.

All figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. These are the most current official wage benchmarks available for this trade in North Carolina.