Careers / Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$43,530
United States, 2025
Employment
14,760
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
- O*NET code
- 51-9192.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
- Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
- Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
- Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$33,790
25th percentile
$37,310
75th percentile
$49,320
90th percentile
$58,570
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Critical Thinking2.9
- Speaking2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Active Listening2.9
- Monitoring2.9
- Coordination2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.8
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Judgment and Decision Making2.6
- Quality Control Analysis2.5
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 2 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
2
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
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Compare with Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee, WI | $64,850 | 70 | 2025 |
| ME | $64,610 | 40 | 2025 |
| Portland, ME | $64,610 | 30 | 2025 |
| Waterloo, IA | $56,100 | 100 | 2025 |
| WI | $54,290 | 310 | 2025 |
| Traverse City, MI | $53,550 | 30 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $53,400 | 120 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $51,070 | 70 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $50,060 | 40 | 2025 |
| Visalia, CA | $49,440 | 70 | 2025 |
| Reading, PA | $49,140 | 40 | 2025 |
| OR | $49,130 | 70 | 2025 |
| Buffalo, NY | $48,930 | 100 | 2025 |
| ND | $48,240 | 60 | 2025 |
| PA | $48,000 | 370 | 2025 |
| Austin, TX | $47,900 | 90 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $47,570 | 160 | 2025 |
| Merced, CA | $47,540 | 80 | 2025 |
| Manchester, NH | $47,510 | 40 | 2025 |
| NH | $47,510 | 120 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.