Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders Salary: $60,656 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 20,330 metal-refining furnace operators and tenders nationally earn a mean of $60,656. Employment in the series shown fell about 33% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about metal-refining furnace operators and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a metal-refining furnace operators and tenders?
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4051.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 20,330 workers.
What does a metal-refining furnace operators and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Performing General Physical Activities, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a metal-refining furnace operators and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $55,770 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $60,656 — 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 | $43,050 |
| 25th percentile | $48,990 |
| Median (50th) | $59,732 |
| 75th percentile | $68,350 |
| 90th percentile | $79,339 |
What education do you need?
For Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is metal-refining furnace operators and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -4.5%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -8.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 20,330.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do metal-refining furnace operators and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 20,330 | 20.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 20,330 | 20.0% |
| Manufacturing | 19,870 | 19.6% |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 17,230 | 17.0% |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 6,680 | 6.6% |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 3,910 | 3.9% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
20,330 Workforce in 2023
The Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$60,656 Average Wage
In 2023, Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders earned an average of $60,656.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
-0.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
1,700 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -4.5%
1,624 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -8.7%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: -9.8% growth (Current: $67,408)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
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:
- IN: 3,560 employees, $71,700 avg wage
- PA: 2,240 employees, $57,560 avg wage
- OH: 2,240 employees, $53,730 avg wage
- TN: 1,190 employees, $54,140 avg wage
- AL: 910 employees, $51,970 avg wage
- MI: 860 employees, $46,390 avg wage
- NY: 750 employees, $64,850 avg wage
- KY: 690 employees, $53,810 avg wage
- FL: 620 employees, $49,250 avg wage
- WI: 590 employees, $50,960 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 2,240 employees, $79,550 avg wage
- Pittsburgh, PA: 800 employees, $58,220 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 530 employees, $54,350 avg wage
- Reading, PA: 430 employees, $65,210 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 370 employees, $59,010 avg wage
- Knoxville, TN: 340 employees, N/A avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 330 employees, $51,230 avg wage
- Canton-Massillon, OH: 320 employees, $51,960 avg wage
- Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI: 250 employees, $44,090 avg wage
- Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL: 240 employees, N/A avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders in 2023 was 20,330 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Metal-Refining Furnace 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 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Skills
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking.
Required skills for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Administration and Management, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders include Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Near Vision, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness.
Required abilities for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Handling and Moving Objects, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.
Most important work activities for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
About
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders was $60,656 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4051 - Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders reports an average salary of $60,656.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 20,330 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.9%, 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.