Compare A Ironworker ↔ B Boilermaker

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1 move · +$23,510 a year, Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels

Gates on this route

Move 1, to Boilermaker: license not checked yet, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Move 1 Transfer move to the side
Ironworker to Boilermaker +$23,510 Texas medians of each whole occupation, all experience levels
- O*NET lists Boilermakers as a related occupation (Primary-Long); skills and knowledge profile similarity r = 0.71.
- Gates: license not checked yet, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).
- Skills to build: Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Equipment Selection

Side by side

All Boilermakers: Texas median $75,750, $23,510 more a year than all Structural Iron and Steel Workers ($52,240), every experience level.

Boilermaker: 80% work more than 40 hours a week, about 2.4 times the share for Ironworker (34%).

Occupation-wide pay all experience levels, not this level's pay; Texas median, base pay, $0 to $300k

$52,240+$23,510$75,750

Gates on the route: license not checked yet, experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET, most common).

Outlook 2024 to 2034 whole occupation

A +3.6% Texas, 850 openings a year

B +4.0% Texas, 220 openings a year

Over 40 h a week

34%+46 pts80%

Physical load our index from O*NET, 1 to 5; A B; largest differences first

3.4 / 5-0.13.3 / 5

Bending or twisting-1.27Bending or twisting: A 4.13, B 2.86
High places-0.68High places: A 3.74, B 3.06
Very hot or cold+0.46Very hot or cold: A 3.75, B 4.21
Keeping balance+0.43Keeping balance: A 2.2, B 2.63
Cramped space+0.42Cramped space: A 2.95, B 3.37

Degree

A Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 7% do).

B Most people in this job do not hold a bachelor's degree (O*NET: 0% do).

License

A No license for this job title at the 8 Texas and federal licensing agencies read on 2026-10-03 (TDLR, TSBPE, TCEQ, TCFP, TEA, TBPELS, NRC and EPA).

B No license for this job found at TDLR electricians, A/C or TSBPE; TDLR's Boiler Safety program was not checked in this round.

Experience

A Most common related work experience: none (O*NET: 57%).

B Most common related work experience: over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (O*NET: 40%).

Skills O*NET importance, 1 to 5

You likely have: 6

Operation and Control
Quality Control Analysis
Active Learning
Active Listening
Complex Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making

To build: 6

Repairing +1.24
Equipment Maintenance +1.00
Equipment Selection +0.88
Troubleshooting +0.74
Critical Thinking +0.50
Operations Monitoring +0.50

Make this your goal

Save Ironworker to Boilermaker as your goal. Each step then shows the hours you have logged toward it, your exam practice and your license, with the one thing to do next and the 6 skills to build as a checklist. Free with an account.