Boilermakers – NOC : 7234

Unit Group

7234 Boilermakers

Boilermakers fabricate, assemble, erect, test, maintain and repair boilers, vessels, tanks, towers, heat exchangers and other heavy-metal structures. They are employed in boiler fabrication, manufacturing, shipbuilding, construction, electric power generation and similar industrial establishments.

Example Titles

boiler fitter

boiler installer

boilermaker

boilermaker apprentice

construction boilermaker

industrial boilermaker

marine boilermaker

pressure vessel fabricator

View all titles

Main duties

Boilermakers perform some or all of the following duties:

Read blueprints or specifications to plan sequence of operation
Lay out plate, sheet steel or other heavy metal and mark bending and cutting lines on work piece using protractors, compasses and drawing instruments or templates
Set up and operate heavy-metal working machines such as brakes, rolls, shears, flame cutters and drill presses to cut, shape and form metal into parts or sections
Fit and weld metal parts or sections together to fabricate boilers, vessels, tanks, heat exchangers, piping and other heavy-metal products
Erect and install boilers and other heavy-metal products according to specifications using hand and power tools
Repair and perform maintenance work on boilers and other heavy-metal products
Direct activities of hoist or crane operators and other workers during fabrication, assembly, installation or repair of structures
Test finished structures using a variety of methods.

Boilermakers may specialize in rigging and hoisting, preparation and layout, or welding aspects of the trade.

Employment requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Completion of a three- to four-year apprenticeship program
or
A combination of over four years of work experience in the trade and some high school, college or industry courses in boilermaking is usually required to be eligible for trade certification.
Trade certification is compulsory in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Alberta and available, but voluntary, in all other provinces.
Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified boilermakers upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.

Additional information

The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Classified elsewhere

Ironworkers (7236)
Structural metal and platework fabricators and fitters (7235)
Supervisors of boilermakers (in 7201 Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations )
Welders and related machine operators (7237)