Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

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 occupation "Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators" has an automation risk of 43.5%, which is closely aligned with its base risk of 44.0%. This moderate risk suggests that while a significant portion of the job may be automated in the coming years, notable tasks still require human oversight or intervention. Much of the work involves hands-on management of sophisticated and potentially hazardous equipment, demanding both technical and practical expertise. Automation risk assessments consider not only the technical feasibility of replacing labor with machines but also the value of human judgment in safety-critical environments. As a result, routine monitoring and control tasks are susceptible to automation, while emergency response and decision-making activities remain more challenging for technology to replicate. Among the top tasks most susceptible to automation are: operating or tending stationary engines, boilers, and auxiliary equipment; activating valves to maintain necessary levels of water, combustion air, and fuel; and monitoring boiler water, chemical, and fuel supplies to ensure they stay within specified levels. These activities are relatively repetitive, rule-based, and increasingly manageable by sensors, control systems, and automated process technologies. For example, advanced building management systems can monitor pressures, temperatures, and fuel supplies, automatically adjusting valves and issuing alerts when conditions deviate from set parameters. This technological progress can enhance efficiency, reduce human error, and lower the need for constant manual oversight, directly impacting the automation risk. However, certain core responsibilities are notably resistant to automation, serving as key bottlenecks that sustain demand for human workers. Tasks such as igniting fuel in burners, operating and adjusting mechanical hoppers, and investigating and reporting on accidents rely not only on practical skills but also on experiential judgment and adaptability. These require qualities such as originality—identified as bottleneck skills for the occupation at levels of 2.4% and 2.3%—indicating a continued need for problem-solving and creative thinking, especially in non-routine or emergency scenarios. Human operators add irreplaceable value in diagnosing unforeseen problems, performing hands-on adjustments, and ensuring safety. Consequently, while routine operations may be increasingly automated, the human role remains vital for maintaining reliability and safety, thus moderating the overall automation risk for this occupation.