US dataswitch to UK
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
operating or tending stationary engines, supervising the work of assistant stationary engineers and monitoring and inspecting equipment, computer terminals. If that's your week, this page is about your job.
The honest answer
AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: operating or tending stationary engines is work software can't reach.
What shifts is maintaining daily logs of operation. This page scores what today's tools actually do, not headlines.
Your week, as this page understands it
Operate or maintain stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or industrial processes. Operate equipment such as steam engines, generators, motors, turbines, and steam boilers. The job title says “stationary engineers” or “boiler operators”: officially one job, two names. The real job is the part underneath: operating or tending stationary engines. That is the thing someone has to be right about.
The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But stationary engineers and boiler operators is not one task. It is 25 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is operating or tending stationary engines, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 13%
- changing shape
- 7%
- staying human
- 80%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 18 out of 100 (14–23 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 25 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.
How we know this
What is measured: Every published task statement for stationary engineers and boiler operators is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.
How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.
Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.
Your job, task by task
These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.
- 2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Shifting to AI
3 tasksTasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.
Maintaining daily logs of operation
This is reading one thing and writing another: logs of operation in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and maintenance work.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 75 out of 100 (71–79 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Keeping daily logs of readings, tests and maintenance is routine record-keeping software handles reliably.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 4/4.
Developing operation, safety and maintenance procedures or assisting in their development
This is reading one thing and writing another: operation, safety and maintenance procedures in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 66 out of 100 (59–73 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Writing operating, safety and maintenance procedures is document work software drafts well from equipment manuals.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Contacting equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems
This is reading one thing and writing another: equipment manufacturers in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 64 out of 100 (57–71 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Describing a fault to a manufacturer and chasing an answer is straightforward correspondence software drafts well.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 0/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Changing shape
2 tasksTasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.
Weighing, measuring and recording fuel
The software now makes the first pass at fuel, but part of it still happens in the physical world. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Weigh, measure, and record fuel used.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 46 out of 100 (39–53 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Fuel figures are simple records, though someone still has to weigh and measure at the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Investigating and reporting on accidents
The software now makes the first pass at accidents, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Investigate and report on accidents.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 42 out of 100 (35–49 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Investigating an accident and writing it up is largely document work, though the scene has to be seen.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Staying human
20 tasksTasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.
Analyzing problems and taking appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems
This work happens in the physical world: problems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation of equipment and systems.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Software can help work out what is wrong, but keeping the plant running means acting on the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Operating or tending stationary engines
This work happens in the physical world: stationary engines, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Operate or tend stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment, such as pumps, compressors, or air-conditioning equipment, to supply and maintain steam or heat for buildings, marine vessels, or pneumatic tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Operating boilers and engines is hands-on plant work by a licensed operator.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Observing and interpreting readings on gauges
This work happens in the physical world: readings, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Observe and interpret readings on gauges, meters, and charts registering various aspects of boiler operation to ensure that boilers are operating properly.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 33 out of 100 (26–40 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Reading and interpreting instrument data is something software does well, though operators still check gauges in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring and inspecting equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms
This work happens in the physical world: equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Detecting leaks and faults means walking round the plant looking, listening and checking equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Monitoring boiler water, chemical and fuel levels and making adjustments to maintain required levels
This work happens in the physical world: boiler water, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Monitor boiler water, chemical, and fuel levels, and make adjustments to maintain required levels.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 11 out of 100 (4–18 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: The levels are data, but keeping them right means adjusting equipment on site.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Show the other 15 tasks
Receiving instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations
staying humanThe ratings behind this row put instructions well outside what today's tools can do on their own.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Receive instructions from steam engineers regarding steam plant and air compressor operations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 28 out of 100 (21–35 allowing for uncertainty): low exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Taking instructions from the steam engineer is a live handover between people who both know the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Supervising the work of assistant stationary engineers
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the work of assistant stationary engineers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Supervising operators and mechanics is day-to-day work with people on the plant floor.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Performing or arranging
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Perform or arrange for repairs, such as complete overhauls, replacement of defective valves, gaskets, or bearings, or fabrication of new parts.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 14 out of 100 (7–21 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Arranging a repair is paperwork, but overhauls and part replacement are hands-on jobs.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Checking the air quality of ventilation systems and making adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the air quality of ventilation systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Check the air quality of ventilation systems and make adjustments to ensure compliance with mandated safety codes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 13 out of 100 (6–20 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Air quality checks are made with instruments in the building, even though the standards are written down.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Testing boiler water quality or arranging for testing and taking necessary corrective action
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: boiler water quality, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Test boiler water quality or arrange for testing and take necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Testing boiler water and dosing chemicals is hands-on work at the plant.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Activating valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Activate valves to maintain required amounts of water in boilers, to adjust supplies of combustion air, and to control the flow of fuel into burners.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Turning valves to control water, air and fuel is physical work at the boiler.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Firing coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: coal furnaces, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Fire coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas- or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Firing furnaces and feeding fuel is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Adjusting controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: controls and/or valves, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and set operations of system or industrial processes.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Adjusting controls and valves on running plant is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Switching from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repairing work
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: automatic, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Switch from automatic to manual controls and isolate equipment mechanically and electrically to allow for safe inspection and repair work.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Isolating equipment mechanically and electrically is a physical safety procedure.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Cleaning and lubricating boilers and auxiliary equipment and making minor adjustments
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: boilers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning, lubricating and adjusting a boiler is hands-on work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Installing burners and auxiliary equipment
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: burners, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Install burners and auxiliary equipment, using hand tools.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Installing burners with hand tools is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Testing electrical systems to determine voltages
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: electrical systems, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Test electrical systems to determine voltages, using voltage meters.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Testing voltages with a meter means touching the equipment.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Providing assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: assistance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Helping plumbers replace pipework is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Igniting fuel in burners, using torches or flames
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: fuel, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Lighting burners with a torch is physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: mechanical hoppers, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Running and adjusting mechanical hoppers is hands-on work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- $78,620a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
- People doing this job
- 28,250in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.
Why this is shifting
The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: logs of operation in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: maintaining daily logs of operation and developing operation, safety and maintenance procedures or assisting in their development. What it cannot do is be answerable: stationary engines need a named person the rules will accept, and software cannot be that person. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.
Your move
Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend
Start with what does not change: operating or tending stationary engines is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.
So, given all that: 13% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 7% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 80% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 25 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.
So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Maintaining daily logs of operation is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.
This week: one thing
Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to logs of operation, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.
- What you end up holding
- a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
- How long it takes
- ten minutes
If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether stationary engines are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.
Over the next 90 days
Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near weighing, measuring and recording fuel. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.
Over the next 12 months
On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.
The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them
I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.
I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to stationary engineers and boiler operators (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was chemical equipment operators and tenders: only about 10% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 26.2% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 18/100 here, with only 13% of the task list in the top band, and “analyze problems and take appropriate action to ensure continuous and reliable operation…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.
How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.
3 moves I checked and rejected
These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed…, and their equivalent is to make minor repairs, lubricate, and maintain equipment, using hand tools. Across both published task lists that is about 10% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 10% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on. It is a pay cut, in those words: $58,040 against your $78,620, 26.2% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already adjust controls and/or valves on equipment to provide power, and to regulate and…, and their equivalent is to press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications. Across both published task lists that is about 7% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 7% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. It is a pay cut, in those words: $48,040 against your $78,620, 38.9% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already clean and lubricate boilers and auxiliary equipment and make minor adjustments as needed…, and their equivalent is to clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, and replace filters and gaskets, using hand tools. Across both published task lists that is about 7% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: Almost none of it is work you already do: about 7% of the durable side of that job. That is a different job, not a next step. And it is a narrow door: about 3,510 of those jobs against 28,250 of yours (OEWS May 2025), 12% as many seats.
What I’d stop worrying about
A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.
The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 13% of its task weight, across 25 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like operating or tending stationary engines arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.
You are reading the United States figures
The United Kingdom splits this work across more than one official group, of which Energy plant operatives is the closest. The pay and employment figures are not directly comparable, and we do not average them together.
Switch to the United Kingdom page →partial match
In UK official statistics this job is counted as Energy plant operatives. Pay and employment stay on this page’s own group; the task list and the scores do not cross over.
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Where to go next, and what it costs
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The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.
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No Space for this job, but one for what is happening to it
Nothing Collab365 runs is built for stationary engineers / boiler operators, and we are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.
There is one that is not about a job title at all. The AI Authority is about being the person who directs these tools at work rather than the person they get compared to. That is worth saying here, because 13% of the work on this page is already inside what they can do.
7 days free, no card needed. Explore up to 2 Spaces before you choose a plan: you pick a plan later, not now.
The AI Authority is a general community about working with AI, not a course for stationary engineers / boiler operators. You do not need it to act on anything here: the moves above cost nothing and stand on their own. The data on this page is the same either way.
Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for stationary engineers / boiler operators launches. Nothing else.
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No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.
Questions people ask about this job
- Will AI replace Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 25 official task statements scored for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators (United States, SOC 51-8021), 13% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 18 out of 100 (range 14–23, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
- Which tasks in “Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain daily logs of operation, maintenance, and safety activities, including test results, instrument readings, and details of equipment malfunctions and…” (75/100, high); “Develop operation, safety, and maintenance procedures or assist in their development” (66/100, high); “Contact equipment manufacturers or appropriate specialists when necessary to resolve equipment problems” (64/100, high). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
- Which tasks in “Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators” stay human?
- About 80% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Operate mechanical hoppers and provide assistance in their adjustment and repair” (0/100, minimal); “Ignite fuel in burners, using torches or flames” (0/100, minimal); “Provide assistance to plumbers in repairing or replacing water, sewer, or waste lines, and in daily maintenance activities” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
- What should someone working in “Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 13% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 80% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
- How is the AI exposure score for Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators calculated?
- Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 25 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.
Where these numbers come from
Worth knowing about these figures
- The match between this job and its counterpart in the other country is partial, so the two pages count slightly different groups of people.
- 2 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
- Task statements
- onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
- Task weights
- onet-db (im-rt)
- Scores
- Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
- Pay and employment
- bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))
Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.
The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.
The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.
Using these figures?
Cite this
Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.
Plain text
Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).
BibTeX
@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
title = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
author = {{Collab365}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
note = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.