Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $47,450 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 14,590 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work nationally, and $47,450 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 40% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.0% annual decline.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4191.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 14,590 workers.
What does a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $47,450 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $53,782 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $41,070 |
| 25th percentile | $47,379 |
| Median (50th) | $49,534 |
| 75th percentile | $59,763 |
| 90th percentile | $68,002 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mathematics, Education and Training, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.0% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -13.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -25.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 14,590.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 14,590 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 14,540 | 20.0% |
| Manufacturing | 13,440 | 18.5% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 6,790 | 9.4% |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 3,970 | 5.5% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 2,210 | 3.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 3,230 | $62,700 |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 53,380 | $49,900 |
| Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other | 20,270 | $42,750 |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers | 23,420 | $49,140 |
| Logging Equipment Operators | 22,520 | $49,210 |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | 30,940 | $42,580 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
14,590 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic shrank from 4,720 in 2009 to 2,920 in 2025 (38.1%).
Historical employment for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$47,450 Median pay (BLS national)
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $47,450 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
2,513 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -13.9%
2,162 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -25.9%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
-14.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 4.4% growth (Current: $59,978)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 1,940 employees, $44,870 avg wage
- OH: 1,580 employees, $51,150 avg wage
- PA: 1,410 employees, $49,590 avg wage
- MI: 1,220 employees, $49,250 avg wage
- IN: 990 employees, $51,140 avg wage
- IL: 960 employees, $43,080 avg wage
- CA: 800 employees, $52,420 avg wage
- WI: 510 employees, $51,220 avg wage
- SC: 460 employees, $46,130 avg wage
- GA: 440 employees, $44,300 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 700 employees, $44,370 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 630 employees, $50,700 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 570 employees, $53,530 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 430 employees, $50,980 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 420 employees, $51,550 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 320 employees, $47,880 avg wage
- Toledo, OH: 290 employees, $54,860 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 250 employees, $54,070 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 240 employees, $53,630 avg wage
- Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: 230 employees, $52,050 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is about 14,590 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Quality Control Analysis, Active Listening.
Required skills for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Production and Processing, Mathematics, Education and Training, Administration and Management, Chemistry.
Knowledge areas required for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Multilimb Coordination, Reaction Time, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Handling and Moving Objects, Controlling Machines and Processes, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment.
Most important work activities for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $47,450 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-4191 - Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $53,782.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,590 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.