Careers / Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Metal-Refining Furnace 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
$54,430
United States, 2025
Employment
16,780
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 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.
- O*NET code
- 51-4051.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
- Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
- 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.
- Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
- Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$39,200
25th percentile
$46,080
75th percentile
$62,810
90th percentile
$74,470
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Operation and Control3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Listening3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Troubleshooting2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.9
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 9 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
9
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Operation and Control | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 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 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spokane, WA | $85,370 | 240 | 2025 |
| Utica, NY | $77,560 | 190 | 2025 |
| MN | $75,880 | 200 | 2025 |
| NJ | $75,020 | 150 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $74,060 | 190 | 2025 |
| Reading, PA | $68,990 | 210 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $67,360 | 60 | 2025 |
| NY | $66,440 | 760 | 2025 |
| Cleveland, OH | $65,660 | 520 | 2025 |
| OR | $64,410 | 400 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $63,170 | 170 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $63,170 | 700 | 2025 |
| WA | $62,850 | 330 | 2025 |
| Charlotte, NC | $61,780 | 240 | 2025 |
| Huntsville, AL | $61,390 | 100 | 2025 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $60,810 | 320 | 2025 |
| NC | $60,780 | 390 | 2025 |
| UT | $60,510 | 330 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $60,510 | 180 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $60,430 | 80 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Metal-Refining Furnace 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.