Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators Salary
The median pay for a stationary engineers and boiler operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $68,100/year ($32.74/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $90K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $69,046 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 33.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $68K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 13% below the U.S. median of $79K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 33.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for stationary engineers and boiler operators in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $71K | $68K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $60K | $64K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $62K | $64K |
| Lubbock | $54K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level stationary engineers and boiler operators (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $68K. Top earners bring in $90K or more, a $41K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a stationary engineers and boiler operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $68K, rent takes 33.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new stationary engineers and boiler operators typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,970/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 13% below the national median — $68K here vs. $79K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for stationary engineers and boiler operators?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $68K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -13%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $69K — below the national median.
How much do stationary engineers and boiler operators make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $68,100 a year, that works out to about $33 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,500, and experienced stationary engineers and boiler operators can clear $90,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $68K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,691/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 33.5% 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 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 $69,046 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.