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Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4051.00United States

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$54,434

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−1%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

100% of the workforce

Employment
17.39K jobs

Growing to 17.22K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What metal-refining furnace operators and tenders do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
  • Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
  • Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.
  • Record production data, and maintain production logs.
  • Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
  • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
  • Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
  • Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
  • Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$39,208
25th percentile
$46,072
50th percentile
$54,434
75th percentile
$62,816
90th percentile
$74,485

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $54,434 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−1%projected to decline
202517,386 jobs
2035 projected17,218 jobs

168 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
100%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Machine Operation
  • Machinery
  • Tape Measure
  • Lifting Ability
  • Forklift Truck
  • Calipers
  • Micrometer
  • Good Manufacturing Practices
  • General Mathematics
  • Hand Tools
  • Mechanical Aptitude
  • Overhead Crane Operation
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Loading And Unloading
  • Machine Setup
  • Material Handling Equipment
  • Sawing
  • Packaging And Labeling
  • Safety Procedures
  • Food Safety And Sanitation

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Equipment Selection
Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Management of Personnel Resources
Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Machine Operators201 postings
  2. 02Baler Operators21 postings
  3. 03Manufacturing Operators21 postings
  4. 04Structural Steel Estimators15 postings
  5. 05Coil Winders9 postings
  6. 06Lead Machine Operators8 postings
  7. 07Spot Welders8 postings
  8. 08Apprentice Operators7 postings
  9. 09Machine Setup Operators7 postings
  10. 10Manufacturing Assembly Technicians7 postings
  11. 11Cutting Machine Operators6 postings
  12. 12Manufacturing Machine Operators6 postings
  13. 13Vacuum Forming Machine Operators6 postings
  14. 14Machine Operators/Packers5 postings
  15. 15Operations Attendants5 postings
  16. 16Coil Operators4 postings
  17. 17Laser Machine Operators4 postings
  18. 18Material Handlers/Machine Operators4 postings
  19. 19Slitter Machine Operators4 postings
  20. 20Social Workers/Case Managers4 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek19 postings
  2. 02O'Neal Steel18 postings
  3. 03O'Neal Industries13 postings
  4. 04Eaton Corporation10 postings
  5. 05Anazao Health Corporation8 postings
  6. 06Osi Holding8 postings
  7. 07Adecco7 postings
  8. 08Dairy Farmers of America7 postings
  9. 09Nesco Resource7 postings
  10. 10Dover Corporation6 postings
  11. 11The Job Center6 postings
  12. 12Wayne-Sanderson Farms6 postings
  13. 13Barton Staffing Solutions5 postings
  14. 14Clement Pappas & Co.5 postings
  15. 15Express Employment Professionals5 postings
  16. 16Hormel5 postings
  17. 17Osi Industries5 postings
  18. 18Tyson Foods5 postings
  19. 19Bosch-Homecomfort4 postings
  20. 20Chobani4 postings

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