Boilermaker / Heavy Fabrication Welder
$150,000 – $220,000
About the role
Boilermakers and heavy fabrication welders are the tradespeople who keep Australian mining plants standing up. They fabricate and repair conveyor structures, chutes, bins, mill liners, crusher shells, ducting, piping and structural steel — anywhere steel needs to be cut, formed, welded and installed to production tolerance. During shutdowns, boilermakers work alongside riggers and fitters to complete relines, replace worn liners and rebuild high-wear components in a compressed window. Coded pressure welders with certifications to AS 1554 and AS 3992 can command day rates over $1,500 in shutdown windows, and boilermakers with combined fabrication and welding skills routinely clear $180,000–$220,000 a year on FIFO or Bowen Basin residential rosters. The role suits people who enjoy solving practical problems with steel — cutting a template from a drawing, tack-fitting a chute liner in place, running a pressure weld in a confined position, and inspecting the finished job for cracks and porosity. Australian mines are chronically short of qualified boilermakers, especially in the Pilbara where BHP, Rio Tinto and FMG's fixed plant maintenance requirements are enormous. Career progression paths include Leading Hand, Trades Supervisor, Shutdown Superintendent and Maintenance Planner. Boilermakers who move into supervisory or planning roles typically add another $30,000–$50,000 to their base without swinging a spanner. The trade-off is physical: welding overhead in a hot, confined chute at 3am on a shutdown is tough on the body, and long-term joint and lung health should be actively managed with the right PPE and rotation.
Certificates & qualifications required
- Cert III in Engineering – Fabrication Trade (MEM30319)
- Coded welding tickets — MMAW, GMAW, GTAW — to AS 1554 / AS 3992
- Working at Heights and Confined Space
- Standard 11 Generic Mining Induction
- White Card
- EWP (Boom > 11m) High Risk Work Licence is a plus
How to get a job in this field
- Complete a Boilermaker / Fabrication apprenticeship (4 years) through TAFE or an RTO.
- Add pressure welding tickets — coded welders earn a premium.
- Get Standard 11 and start with a shutdown labour hire firm — Monadelphous, UGL, Programmed.
- Chase Pilbara iron ore and coal shutdowns for peak earnings.
- After 5+ years, target Leading Hand and Trades Supervisor roles.
