Boilermaker: metro pay ranking
At Skilled Trades Headhunters, this is what we do all day: recruit skilled trades professionals.
Skilled Trades Headhunters compares published medians for SOC 47-2011 Boilermakers, not estimated offers for this particular title.
Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Boilermakers. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
| Metro | Median | Employment | Location quotient | Trade median / all-occupations median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $135,290 | 50 | 0.29 | 1.82 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $110,370 | 320 | 0.77 | 1.98 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $109,640 | 90 | 0.3 | 2.00 |
| Toledo, OH | $107,780 | 40 | 2.15 | 2.24 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $106,790 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 2.10 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $105,430 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.78 |
| Farmington, NM | $101,250 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 2.21 |
| commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $100,110 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.92 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $94,640 | 40 | 0.5 | 1.89 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $91,420 | 100 | 1.4 | 1.84 |
| Cleveland, OH | $90,980 | 30 | 0.46 | 1.81 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $86,910 | 140 | 0.75 | 1.60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $82,420 | 330 | 0.52 | 1.34 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $77,290 | 120 | 4.21 | 1.63 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $77,090 | 1,170 | 5.43 | 1.56 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $74,730 | 680 | 25.4 | 1.53 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $73,060 | 230 | 21.39 | 1.50 |
| Lafayette, LA | $70,720 | 110 | 9.14 | 1.69 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $68,350 | 90 | 1.83 | 1.38 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $67,010 | 30 | 3.73 | 1.50 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $64,660 | 170 | 13.19 | 1.43 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $64,200 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.25 |
| Tulsa, OK | $64,110 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.37 |
| Decatur, AL | $64,060 | 30 | 8.45 | 1.38 |
| Birmingham, AL | $64,000 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 1.34 |
| Knoxville, TN | $51,430 | 50 | 1.68 | 1.09 |
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
Where does this trade pay most relative to local wages?
| Area | Wage ratio | Median | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo, OH | 2.24 | $107,780 | 2.15 |
| Farmington, NM | 2.21 | $101,250 | Not published by BLS |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 2.10 | $106,790 | Not published by BLS |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2.00 | $109,640 | 0.3 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1.98 | $110,370 | 0.77 |
| commercial-vehicle manufacturers-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1.92 | $100,110 | Not published by BLS |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1.89 | $94,640 | 0.5 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 1.84 | $91,420 | 1.4 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 1.82 | $135,290 | 0.29 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1.81 | $90,980 | 0.46 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1.78 | $105,430 | Not published by BLS |
| Lafayette, LA | 1.69 | $70,720 | 9.14 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1.63 | $77,290 | 4.21 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1.60 | $86,910 | 0.75 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 1.56 | $77,090 | 5.43 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 1.53 | $74,730 | 25.4 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 1.50 | $67,010 | 3.73 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 1.50 | $73,060 | 21.39 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 1.43 | $64,660 | 13.19 |
| Decatur, AL | 1.38 | $64,060 | 8.45 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 1.38 | $68,350 | 1.83 |
| Tulsa, OK | 1.37 | $64,110 | Not published by BLS |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1.34 | $82,420 | 0.52 |
| Birmingham, AL | 1.34 | $64,000 | Not published by BLS |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1.25 | $64,200 | Not published by BLS |
| Knoxville, TN | 1.09 | $51,430 | 1.68 |
Direct match Our title "Boilermaker" is reported by BLS as SOC 47-2011 Boilermakers. BLS reports this occupation as Boilermakers. A license or specialty is still checked separately.
National percentile table Methodology