Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 74.6% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

1,100
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$49,001
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders workforce.

Employment Over Time

1,100 Workforce in 2023

The Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$49,001 Average Wage

In 2023, Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders earned an average of $49,001.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Salary distribution for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Employment Growth Projections

-0.6% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

3,494 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -2.9%

3,391 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -5.8%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Wage Trends by Industry

-31.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Total, All Industry: -4.3% growth (Current: $55,105)

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 680 employees, $47,897 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 340 employees, $46,561 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 120 employees, $44,377 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 70 employees, $49,165 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 70 employees, $55,105 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 60 employees, $54,295 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 20 employees, $42,855 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Diversity

Demographic information on Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in 2023 was 1,100 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.

Common majors for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders workers.

Education level distribution for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Skills

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Speaking, Reading Comprehension.

Required skills for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders include Mechanical, Production and Processing, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, English Language.

Knowledge areas required for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders include Problem Sensitivity, Control Precision, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Arm-Hand Steadiness.

Required abilities for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

Daily Activities

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings.

Most important work activities for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders.

About

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

The average yearly wage for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders was $49,001 in 2023.

SOC Code

51-9051 - Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $49,001.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 1,100 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.6%, 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.