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Manufacturing & Production · Updated Aug 2026

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
52/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
43/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence82/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.High
68
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.High
68
Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps.High
72
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.High
57
Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.High
66
Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes.High
63
Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits.High
68
Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics.High
66
Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.High
69
Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations.Medium
66
Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters.Medium
67
Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.High
35
Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes.Medium
69
Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.High
31
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.High
26
Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work.High
34
Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair.Medium
21
Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools.High
22
Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts.High
15
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps.72
  2. Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.69
  3. Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes.69
  4. Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.68
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts.01
  2. Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair.02
  3. Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools.03
  4. 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.04
  5. Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency75
Physical dependency61
Adoption pressure59
Labour-market resilience73
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence82/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →