Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Salary
The median pay for a stationary engineers and boiler operators in Baton Rouge, LA is $46,590/year ($22.4/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $87K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.78), which stretches that salary to about $51,322 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,204/month, about 37.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $47K actually covers in Baton Rouge, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baton Rouge’s Regional Price Parity (90.78). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About stationary engineers and boiler operators
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What this looks like in Baton Rouge
Pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Baton Rouge runs about 41% below the U.S. median of $79K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,204/month, which is 38% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for stationary engineers and boiler operators.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in metros near Baton Rouge, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $50K | $54K |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $43K | $51K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $71K | $68K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $68K | $69K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baton Rouge, LA
Entry-level stationary engineers and boiler operators (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $87K or more, a $50K spread from bottom to top.
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $116K | +47% | 1,680 |
| Wyoming | $112K | +42% | 100 |
| Hawaii | $103K | +32% | 70 |
| Connecticut | $95K | +21% | 270 |
| New York | $94K | +20% | 4,480 |
| Washington | $92K | +16% | 520 |
| California | $91K | +15% | 5,840 |
| District of Columbia | $90K | +15% | 620 |
| Alaska | $88K | +12% | 90 |
| Maryland | $85K | +8% | 850 |
| Michigan | $83K | +5% | 490 |
| Colorado | $81K | +3% | 560 |
| Massachusetts | $81K | +3% | 530 |
| Nevada | $79K | +1% | 60 |
| Montana | $78K | -1% | 110 |
| Delaware | $78K | -1% | 40 |
| New Jersey | $77K | -3% | 1,400 |
| Utah | $76K | -3% | 110 |
| Minnesota | $76K | -4% | 1,440 |
| Ohio | $75K | -4% | 760 |
| Arizona | $75K | -4% | 80 |
| New Mexico | $74K | -5% | 100 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | -7% | 1,730 |
| South Carolina | $73K | -8% | 170 |
| Missouri | $73K | -8% | 380 |
| Tennessee | $72K | -8% | 370 |
| Georgia | $71K | -10% | 240 |
| Oklahoma | $68K | -13% | 180 |
| Vermont | $68K | -13% | 70 |
| South Dakota | $68K | -13% | 90 |
| Oregon | $68K | -14% | 330 |
| Indiana | $68K | -14% | 290 |
| Iowa | $67K | -14% | 190 |
| Kentucky | $67K | -15% | 90 |
| North Dakota | $67K | -15% | 140 |
| New Hampshire | $66K | -16% | 60 |
| Florida | $65K | -17% | 170 |
| Nebraska | $65K | -17% | 290 |
| Kansas | $64K | -18% | 120 |
| Idaho | $64K | -18% | 120 |
| Virginia | $64K | -18% | 350 |
| Texas | $64K | -19% | 890 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -19% | 60 |
| Maine | $63K | -20% | 290 |
| Wisconsin | $61K | -22% | 270 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -23% | 220 |
| Arkansas | $58K | -26% | 200 |
| Mississippi | $54K | -32% | 200 |
| Alabama | $53K | -32% | 220 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -32% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -39% | 290 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track stationary engineers and boiler operators salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a stationary engineers and boiler operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baton Rouge?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 38% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,204/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Baton Rouge?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new stationary engineers and boiler operators typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,532/month. At HUD’s $1,204/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is stationary engineers and boiler operator a high-paying job in Baton Rouge?
Local pay runs 41% below the national median — $47K here vs. $79K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Baton Rouge compare to the national average for stationary engineers and boiler operators?
Baton Rouge pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do stationary engineers and boiler operators make in Baton Rouge, LA?
The median is $46,590 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,610, and experienced stationary engineers and boiler operators can clear $86,890. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Baton Rouge?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,171/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,204/month, which eats 38% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a stationary engineers and boiler operators salary go in Baton Rouge?
Baton Rouge has a Regional Price Parity of 90.78 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median stationary engineers and boiler operators salary is worth about $51,322 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do stationary engineers and boiler operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.