AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-8021.00
Will AI replace Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators?
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators: AI can already handle 2 of 25 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 25 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Investigate and report on accidents. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Weigh, measure, and record fuel used. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames. | Estimated | No 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. | Estimated | No tier | |
| 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. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 1 of 25 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 25. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 40% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 44% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 56% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 28,250
- Median annual wage
- $78,620
- Middle half of earners
- $63,160 to $101,150
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +2.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Power Plant Operators 72% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure25
- Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure15
- Mechanical Engineers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure48
- Gas Plant Operators 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure31
- Biomass Plant Technicians 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure29
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators and AI
Will AI replace Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators?
AI already handles 2 of the 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 24 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +2.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators?
24 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 1 of the 25 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems; Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 40% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 56% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, and what do they earn?
28,250 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $78,620 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/stationary-engineers-and-boiler-operators
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