If you’re looking for a rewarding career with some job security -- and who isn’t – the steam industry is a pretty smart choice. In fact, it always has been. That’s because when you come down to it, the world runs on steam.
LOOK AROUND YOU
Nearly 80% of the products you touch have been created with steam in one form or another. From the plastics and chemical industry to hospitals and automotive plants, and pretty much everything else, steam provides work, heat, sterilization, and so much more. With that many boilers out there, a lot of people are going to be needed for tune-ups, repairs, maintenance, installation, replacement, and parts. Not to mention qualified boiler operators.
Someone who understands steam will always be sought after. That means the industry will always have jobs available. A quality education in steam, especially from WARE’s Boiler University, will open doors to boiler rooms all over the world. Classes are available online and in-person, and are taught by seasoned professionals with years in the field.
HANDS ON
If you think boiler work is all about guys with wrenches and hammers, you’d be right. And you’d be wrong. Sure, there are a lot of big steel tools involved in the day-to-day, but today’s boilers also have sophisticated technology located throughout them that requires advanced high-tech skills to install, maintain, and operate.
The boiler room isn’t just glass gauges and hand-turn valves anymore. Today’s boiler operating systems are controlled with touchscreens, LCD monitors, and a network of sophisticated sensors that are all joined by a data network through PLC’s. Together, they let the boiler control system make small, constant changes to the firing rate, feedwater input, and air dampers to keep the boiler operating at peak efficiency. These systems also help the boiler adjust to demand and changing conditions, so the processes it supplies will always have the steam they need.
So, while a boiler tech will have an extensive toolbox in his or her truck, they’ll also have an iPad, and some pretty sophisticated sensors and interfaces as well.
WHAT’S NEXT
If you’re just out of high school or looking for a career change, now’s the time to get into the challenging, rewarding environment that the steam industry offers. You can start off with classes at WARE’s Boiler University to learn what you need to hit the ground running. Of course, the STEAM industry is also a bright opportunity for people who’d rather start off with an apprenticeship and learn as they work. If that’s your choice, you’ll apprentice for a year or more, learning everything you need to know from seasoned pros who’ve lived it. After your apprenticeship ends, you’ll have great experience to help keep the world well-supplied with the STEAM it needs.
STEAM PAYS
Another thing to remember if you’re thinking about a career in steam is the compensation involved. In many fields, the youngest and newest workers are expected to work for practically nothing until they earn their chops. Not steam. A brand new, fresh-from a 12-14 month apprentice program at Boiler-University, a steam tech can make a very good living from the start of his or her career. Furthermore, as you gain experience and skill, that number can go up quite a bit. Technicians of skill and experience can earn well into SIX FIGURE INCOME with incredible benefits and retirement. Not only will you get the satisfaction of helping keep the world running, you’ll bring home a great paycheck while you do it.
NO WRENCHES REQUIRED
If you don’t think hands-on tech work is your style, the steam industry is ripe with other career opportunities that require a wide array of skill sets. Boiler companies need accountants, salespeople, field reps, programmers, dispatchers, engineers, project managers, service managers and many other positions. Remember, they all come with the future-proof security and rewarding career that steam offers.
ALL ADMISSION
There’s another misconception about a career in the boiler industry, and it’s one of gender. In the past, the boiler industry has been predominantly male. However, that is changing. More women than ever are seeking out the job security, technical skills, and compensation that the boiler industry offers.
THE STEAM TEAM
A career in steam is anything but boring, because every new day and every new job or sale presents an opportunity to learn something new. What’s more, sometimes you get to be a hero. Think about it; when a boiler fails, that means there’s a factory out there that’s losing money every second. Or a hospital full of patients who need sterile environments and equipment to live. Or a school full of children in a snowstorm with no heat.
WARE gets those calls all the time, and that’s when it gets exciting. Calls can come any time, from anywhere, and when they do, time is of the essence. We can get rolling in an hour or less, day or night, weekend, weekday, Christmas Eve, whenever. We’ve sent boiler crews to disaster sites to restore hot water. We brought emergency boilers to West Virginia University to keep labs heated so crucial experiments aren’t lost. Right now, our temporary boilers are powering an aluminum plant in the Caribbean that’s 10% of Jamaica’s GDP. The list goes on, and WARE keeps the steam coming.
If you’d like to learn more about a career in steam, take a look around WARE’s YouTube channel as a place to start. If you like what you see, consider WARE’s Boiler University as a great place to take a few online classes, or maybe an in-person class and see what you think. Remember, the sooner you get started in steam, the more rewarding your career will be. If you’re a good problem solver who can think on their feet and who isn’t afraid to tackle any challenge, we’re waiting for you.