Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Career, Salary and Skills

Occupation description

Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.

National salary and employment

Top skills

Typical tasks

• Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature.
• Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
• Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
• Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
• Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
• Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
• Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths.
• Instruct new workers in machine operation.

Technology

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word
• SAP software

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in PA
  Median $48,800 · Employment 1,520
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in TX
  Median $41,690 · Employment 1,450
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in MI
  Median $50,560 · Employment 1,190
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in OH
  Median $52,880 · Employment 1,040
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in IN
  Median $46,860 · Employment 990
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in IL
  Median $45,340 · Employment 850
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in CA
  Median $50,150 · Employment 770
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Houston, TX
  Median $47,550 · Employment 700
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Chicago, IL
  Median $45,100 · Employment 690
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in TN
  Median $54,930 · Employment 670
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Detroit, MI
  Median $50,790 · Employment 650
• Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in WI
  Median $49,100 · Employment 470

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