Prevailing Wage for Boilermakers
Prevailing wage for Boilermakers under SOC 47-2011 is set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. Whether your offer is for a Boiler Mechanic, Boiler Installer, or Boiler Service Technician role, DOL assigns four experience levels, each with its own wage floor. That floor shifts considerably depending on the worksite city.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Boilermakers with limited hands-on experience, typically fewer than two years in the trade. Work is performed under close supervision on routine assembly, alignment, and maintenance tasks with minimal independent judgment required.
Level 2 applies to qualified Boilermakers with practical field experience who perform standard boiler assembly, fitting inspection, and repair with moderate supervision. This is the most common filing level for sponsored Boilermakers positions in the U.S.
Level 3 covers experienced Boilermakers who work largely independently on complex repairs, pressure vessel assembly, and safety valve calibration. These workers regularly exercise judgment, interpret blueprints without assistance, and may guide less experienced crew members.
Level 4 reflects fully competent Boilermakers with advanced expertise, often functioning as lead technicians or site supervisors. Responsibilities typically include overseeing boiler house auxiliaries, directing testing procedures, and taking accountability for compliance and quality outcomes.
Prevailing Wage for Boilermakers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Boilermakers and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your title maps to SOC 47-2011
Job postings for Boiler Technicians, Boiler Mechanics, and Boiler Repairmen sometimes get filed under maintenance or pipefitting SOC codes, which carry different wage floors. Verify the LCA your employer files actually cites SOC 47-2011 before accepting an offer.
Watch for low-wage metros in industrial regions
Some metros with high boilermaker demand, including parts of the Gulf Coast and Southeast, post prevailing wages well below the national median at all four levels. If your worksite city falls in a low-wage area, the L2 floor may be lower than you expect for comparable heavy-industry work.
Exclude shift differentials when checking compliance
Overtime pay, hazard differentials, and per diem allowances common in boiler plant and refinery environments do not count toward the prevailing wage calculation. Only base hourly or salary wages are compared to the DOL floor when assessing LCA compliance.
Find employers sponsoring Boilermakers on Migrate Mate
Migrate Mate shows which employers have a verified history of sponsoring Boilermaker roles specifically, so you can focus applications on companies already familiar with the LCA process for SOC 47-2011 rather than employers who have only sponsored white-collar occupations.
Jobs for Boilermakers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for BoilermakersPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 47-2011.00 alongside Boilermakers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Boiler Installer Prevailing Wage
Boiler Installer Prevailing Wage
Boiler Installer positions fall under SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Boiler Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Boiler Mechanic Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Boiler Mechanic for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Boiler Repairman Prevailing Wage
Boiler Repairman Prevailing Wage
Boiler Repairman is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Boiler Service Technician (Boiler Service Tech) positions fall under SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech) Prevailing Wage
Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Boiler Technician (Boiler Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Boilermaker Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Boilermaker Mechanic Prevailing Wage
Boilermaker Mechanic is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Boilermaker Pipe Fitter Prevailing Wage
Boilermaker Pipe Fitter Prevailing Wage
Boilermaker Pipe Fitter positions fall under SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Boilermaker Welder Prevailing Wage
Boilermaker Welder Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Boilermaker Welder for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Industrial Boiler Service Technician (Industrial Boiler Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Industrial Boiler Service Technician (Industrial Boiler Service Tech) Prevailing Wage
Industrial Boiler Service Technician (Industrial Boiler Service Tech) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 47-2011.00 (Boilermakers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Boilermakers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to establish prevailing wages for SOC 47-2011. The agency calculates four wage levels corresponding to the 17th, 34th, 50th, and 67th percentiles of wages reported for Boilermakers in each geographic area. Employers must certify on the LCA that their offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level before USCIS processes an H-1B or other sponsored petition.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to me?
The four levels reflect experience and supervision requirements. Level 1 is entry-level with close supervision; Level 2 is a qualified worker performing standard tasks; Level 3 covers independent, experienced workers; Level 4 is reserved for fully competent leads or supervisors. Your level is determined by the duties and supervision described in the LCA your employer files, not by your job title. Review the LCA job description carefully and compare it to DOL's published level definitions to confirm the assignment is accurate.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Boilermaker role vary so much by city?
DOL calculates prevailing wages separately for each metropolitan statistical area using regional wage surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Areas with high concentrations of refineries, power plants, or heavy manufacturing, such as the San Francisco Bay Area and Minneapolis, report higher median wages for Boilermakers, pushing all four levels up. Conversely, metros with thinner labor markets or lower industrial density produce lower survey medians. The worksite address listed on the LCA, not the employer's headquarters, determines which city's wage floor applies.
What happens if a sponsored job offer falls below the prevailing wage for Boilermakers?
An LCA that lists a wage below the applicable DOL prevailing wage for SOC 47-2011 at the worksite location will be rejected by OFLC during certification review. If an already-certified LCA is later found to misrepresent the offered wage, USCIS can deny or revoke the associated visa petition. For the worker, a below-floor offer means the sponsorship cannot legally proceed without the employer raising the offered salary to at least the certified wage level. Consult a qualified immigration attorney if you believe an offer does not meet the floor.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for Boilermakers in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up the current wage for SOC 47-2011 in any metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the worksite city to see the Level 1 through Level 4 floors in effect. You can cross-reference those figures with OFLC disclosure data, which shows wages certified on recent LCAs filed for Boilermaker positions. Migrate Mate lists employers with a documented history of sponsoring Boilermaker roles, making it easier to identify companies already active in the SOC 47-2011 hiring market.
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