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operators receive extensive on-the-job training and instruction,
learning the equipment controls, the safety protocols, and more
over a multi-year period. In addition to this rigorous training, power
plant operators seeking jobs in nuclear power plants will need to be
licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Boilermakers
The job: Boilermakers are the people responsible for building,
installing, servicing, and repairing boilers, which are used often in
homes, businesses, factories, and even aboard ships to heat water
or other liquids in a way that generates electrical energy or heat.
These technicians also often work on tanks, vats, or other vessels
that have similar structures to boilers but are used for different
purposes, such as oil tanks or beer brewing systems.
The pay: The median salary for a boilermaker in the U.S. is $71,140
per year.
The prospects: Boilermakers are still incredibly important to the
energy ecosystem of the United States, even though boilers
themselves are becoming less common as furnaces and other
systems for heat and energy production grow increasingly more
sophisticated. As a result, BLS is projecting a four percent decline
for this job between 2022 and 2032.
The education: Most boilermakers get their start in the trade by
working through apprenticeship programs. These programs give
aspiring boilermakers a chance to learn from skilled and experi-
enced members of the trade, who teach everything from tools and
equipment to safety protocols. The typical boilermaker appren-
ticeship lasts four years, at which point boilermakers become
journey workers. This process can be shorter for people who have
experience in other trades with skills that overlap with boiler work—
including pipefitters and plumbers or welders.