Boilermakers

Boilermaker work today is still mostly done by skilled people. Official sources describe tasks like welding large boiler plates, inspecting for leaks, and marking steel for cuts as core boilermaker duties ^{[1] [1]}. Some machines help with these tasks – for example, fixed welding robots and CNC cutters have long been used in factories to join metal parts ^[2].

However, as ASME notes, those robots usually need exact setups and can’t handle the small, tricky welds or odd shapes that boilermakers deal with in the field ^[2]. In practice, tasks such as reading blueprints, fitting irregular parts, and hand-guiding welds still rely on a person’s judgment. Newer tools (like computer vision for weld inspection or augmented reality guides) are being tried, but today most boiler assembly and repair remains hands-on ^{[1] [2]}.

Will AI and robots take over boilermaking? Probably not quickly. In fact, boilermaker jobs are expected to stay flat or even decline slightly (-2% projected) ^[3], partly because old boilers aren’t replaced often and because one experienced worker can’t easily be swapped for a machine.

At the same time, the welding trade has a big worker shortage. McKinsey reports that demand for welders and similar trades is so high that wages jumped ~20% since 2020 ^[4]. High labor costs and safety needs do encourage companies to try automation for repetitive or dangerous tasks (like long, straight welds).

But industrial welding robots and AI inspection tools are expensive, hard to move around, and often need fixed setups. Many employers adopt them slowly, using machines to augment workers (for example, lifting heavy parts or automating a long seam) rather than fully replace them ^{[4] [2]}. In short, boilermakers who stay adaptable will still be in demand: human skills like problem-solving, on-the-spot adjustments, and teamwork remain very valuable even as new tools are added.