How to become a boiler fireman
Official title: Boiler fireman
Also called: Boiler attendant, Steam boiler fireman, Steam plant operator, Boiler attendant, Steam boiler fireman
Boiler fireman tends one or more boilers which produce steam for heat or power. He/she controls valves to maintain the required level of water in boiler, shovels fuel into fireboxes and pokes the fire to obtain maximum heat or sets devices which feed gas, oil or other fuel automatically. He/she checks the temperature and pressure of steam by reading gauges and feeds fuel or adjusts the stoking mechanism accordingly. He/she may remove ashes from ash pans, clean boilers and flues, and condition boiler water by adding chemicals.
Main tasks
- Operating, cleaning, lubricating and monitoring steam engines, boilers and auxiliary equipment such as pumps, compressors and air-conditioning equipment to supply and maintain steam and power for buildings, marine vessels or pneumatic tools
- Analysing and recording instrument readings, troubleshooting and performing minor repairs to prevent equipment or system failure
- Monitoring and inspecting performance of equipment for efficient operation and ensuring boiler water, chemical and fuel levels are maintained at required levels
- Firing coal furnaces by hand or with stokers and gas or oil-fed boilers, using automatic gas feeds or oil pumps
- Testing boiler water quality or arranging for testing, adjusting and taking necessary corrective action, such as adding chemicals to prevent corrosion and harmful deposits
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
Will AI change the work of a boiler fireman?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026