Share and intensity of work current AI systems can materially affect.
SOC 47-2011
Boilermakers AI displacement risk
Boilermakers assemble, weld, and repair boilers and pressure vessels, much of it during power-plant and refinery outages. Drone inspections and ultrasonic testing robots now survey vessels for defects, but confined-space rigging, pressure welding, and fitting steel in place stay with the boilermaker.
Likely potential for exposed tasks to move to software after workflow integration.
Outage work is episodic, physical, and regulated: robots find defects faster, which generates more repair work for the crews who fix them. Pressure-vessel welding certification is a durable wage floor.
Distribution
Where Boilermakers sits across 620 tracked roles
Displacement pressure 18 — higher than 20% of the 620 occupations tracked on displacement.ai.
Score version
This page uses Seed model v0.4 (seed-v0.4-2026-05), last reviewed 2026-08-15. Directional occupation-level planning model using hand-reviewed public research, task exposure estimates, wage context, and transition-pathway assumptions.
18 O*NET task statements matched to SOC 47-2011. The displayed task profile combines these official task statements with the current public score model.
Median wage context: $76,410 (May 2025, US national). The latest BLS row matched SOC 47-2011.
Scores are planning signals, not forecasts. Local hiring demand, employer-specific workflows, licensing, and credentials must be validated before making career decisions.
2030 economic stress test
How Anthropic's scenarios classify Boilermakers
SOC 47-2011 places this role in the paper's all-other occupation group. These group-level outcomes do not change the 18/100 role score and are not an occupation forecast.
+1.1% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +1.6% GDP and 3.9% unemployment.
+5.9% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +8.3% GDP and 4.6% unemployment.
+33.6% group wage
Employment rises and unemployment falls for the all-other group, but the paper does not publish a separate group rate.
Economy-wide: +32.4% GDP and 11.9% unemployment.
Compare the assumptions and limitations across all three scenarios. Source: The Anthropic Institute Working Paper No. 2026-02.
Official task evidence
O*NET task matches for Boilermakers
The current evidence import matched 18 task statements from Task Statements 31.0 (August 2026). These rows are used as a grounding layer for judging which parts of the occupation are repeatable, language-heavy, analytical, social, physical, or compliance-sensitive.
Dataset31.0 (August 2026)
Matched tasks18
SOC47-2011
- Core task / ID 24011
Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers.
- Core task / ID 11446
Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts.
- Core task / ID 11438
Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, weak spots, or defective sections, so that they can be repaired.
- Core task / ID 11440
Inspect assembled vessels or individual components, such as tubes, fittings, valves, controls, or auxiliary mechanisms, to locate any defects.
- Core task / ID 11444
Lay out plate, sheet steel, or other heavy metal and locate and mark bending and cutting lines, using protractors, compasses, and drawing instruments or templates.
- Core task / ID 11443
Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof joints.
Source: O*NET Resource Center, Task Statements. Raw import target: data/raw/onet/task-statements-31-0.txt.
Task profile
Where AI changes the work
Examine vessels to locate leaks and weak spots
Exposure 28, automation 12%, augmentation 48%.
O*NET evidence: Examine boilers, pressure vessels, tanks, or vats to locate defects, such as leaks, wea... (ID 11438)
Weld pressure-vessel tube ends for leakproof joints
Exposure 18, automation 6%, augmentation 36%.
O*NET evidence: Bell, bead with power hammers, or weld pressure vessel tube ends to ensure leakproof jo... (ID 11443)
Study blueprints to determine part locations
Exposure 40, automation 19%, augmentation 54%.
O*NET evidence: Study blueprints to determine locations, relationships, or dimensions of parts. (ID 11446)
Conduct pressure tests on vessels
Exposure 30, automation 13%, augmentation 46%.
O*NET evidence: Conduct pressure tests on vessels, such as boilers. (ID 24011)
TaskExposureAutomationAugmentation
Examine vessels to locate leaks and weak spots2812%48%
Weld pressure-vessel tube ends for leakproof joints186%36%
Study blueprints to determine part locations4019%54%
Conduct pressure tests on vessels3013%46%
Transition pathways
Adjacent moves that preserve existing skills
credentialed transition
LowCertified Welding Inspector
Training horizon: 12-24 months. Skill overlap 62. Wage preservation signal 118.
- Earn CWI certification
- Master code requirements
- Lead weld-quality programs
role redesign
LowOutage Supervisor
Training horizon: 6-12 months. Skill overlap 68. Wage preservation signal 122.
- Plan outage scopes
- Lead crew safety programs
- Manage contractor schedules
Comparison guides
Compare the next move before you commit
12-24 months
Boilermakers to Certified Welding Inspector
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Boilermakers into Certified Welding Inspector.
6-12 months
Boilermakers to Outage Supervisor
Compare AI displacement pressure, wage preservation, skill overlap, training time, and first proof project for moving from Boilermakers into Outage Supervisor.
What the AI risk score means for Boilermakers
The displacement pressure score for Boilermakers is 18. That score blends task exposure, automation pressure, augmentation potential, wage vulnerability, transition feasibility, and source confidence. It is designed to help workers and workforce teams decide where to act first, not to claim a specific date when a job will disappear.
For this role, the clearest risk pattern is visible at the task level. Study blueprints to determine part locations carries 19% automation pressure, while Study blueprints to determine part locations carries 54% augmentation potential. That means the best response is usually a targeted redesign of work: move away from repeatable production tasks and toward judgment, exception handling, coordination, stakeholder context, and accountable use of AI tools.
Labor-market context and wage risk
Median wage: $76,410 (May 2025, US national). Employment context: Pressure-vessel fabrication anchored to power-plant outages. Typical education: High school plus registered apprenticeship.
Wage vulnerability is 30, while transition feasibility is 60. A high wage-vulnerability score means workers should pay close attention to salary preservation before making a move. A high transition-feasibility score means there are adjacent paths that can reuse existing skills without requiring a complete career reset.
- Low displacement pressure
- Inspection robots generate repair work
- Outage labor demand persists
Upskilling priorities
Skills that make this role more resilient
The safest upskilling plan starts with skills already close to the work. For Boilermakers, the strongest near-term skill priorities are listed below. These are useful whether the goal is to stay in the role, move to a redesigned version of the role, or transition into an adjacent occupation.
Pressure welding
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Blueprint reading
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Heavy equipment rigging
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
Pressure testing
Build proof of this skill through a work sample, checklist, dashboard, case note, workflow map, or portfolio artifact tied to the transition paths on this page.
90-day transition plan
The most practical next step is not to wait for a layoff or a full role redesign. Use the next 90 days to create evidence that you can operate in a safer, more AI-augmented version of the work.
- In the first 30 days, document the repetitive tasks in your current work and identify where AI can reduce drafting, lookup, classification, or reporting time.
- By 60 days, complete one small project connected to Certified Welding Inspector, such as earn cwi certification.
- By 90 days, compare internal openings and external postings for Certified Welding Inspector or Outage Supervisor and update your resume around measurable workflow outcomes.
FAQ
Questions about AI and Boilermakers
Will AI replace Boilermakers?
Boilermakers assemble, weld, and repair boilers and pressure vessels, much of it during power-plant and refinery outages. Drone inspections and ultrasonic testing robots now survey vessels for defects, but confined-space rigging, pressure welding, and fitting steel in place stay with the boilermaker. The better planning signal is not full replacement, but which tasks become automated, which tasks become AI-assisted, and which responsibilities still need human judgment.
Which parts of Boilermakers work are most exposed to AI?
Study blueprints to determine part locations and Conduct pressure tests on vessels show the strongest automation pressure in this model. Study blueprints to determine part locations and Examine vessels to locate leaks and weak spots are better treated as AI-augmented work.
What should Boilermakers learn next?
Start with Pressure welding, Blueprint reading, Heavy equipment rigging. The most practical adjacent paths in this model are Certified Welding Inspector and Outage Supervisor.
How should this score be used?
Use it as a planning signal, not a prediction. Confirm local hiring demand, wages, licensing, credentials, and employer adoption before making a career move.
Sources
Evidence trail
OECD / 11 July 2023OECD Employment Outlook 2023: Artificial Intelligence and the Labour MarketO*NET Resource Center / Database 31.0 (August 2026)Occupation, Task, Skill, and Work-Activity DataUS Bureau of Labor Statistics / May 2025 estimates (released 15 May 2026)Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics