51
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
Personal Service Managers, All Other
11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-9051 |
| title | Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders |
| onet code | 51-9051.00 |
| description | Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 16,160 |
| a mean | 49,250 |
| a median | 47,010 |
| a pct10 | 35,010 |
| a pct25 | 39,250 |
| a pct75 | 57,840 |
| a pct90 | 66,190 |
| h mean | 23 |
| h median | 22 |
The day-to-day work of a furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders typically centers on monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards. 7 of these 8 tasks are Core O*NET duties; the remainder are common supplemental work. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and Active Listening. Across the top 8 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.20 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (55.9%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 2% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Kentucky at $75,220 and lowest in Montana at $29,330 — a 2.6× spread. The top five states (Kentucky, Maryland, Wyoming, Nevada, Virginia) average $71,212. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $75,220 | $68,620 | $50,260 | $81,580 | 260 |
| Maryland | $75,000 | $59,890 | $36,210 | $75,030 | 120 |
| Wyoming | $74,530 | $75,730 | $52,750 | $111,730 | 40 |
| Nevada | $66,800 | $65,230 | $53,940 | $68,700 | 40 |
| Virginia | $64,510 | $55,500 | $34,630 | $67,770 | 280 |
| Minnesota | $60,130 | $64,110 | $47,300 | $86,560 | 80 |
| Massachusetts | $59,760 | $56,530 | $40,680 | $72,090 | 130 |
| New Jersey | $58,510 | $56,000 | $39,310 | $71,310 | 480 |
| Illinois | $57,140 | $54,440 | $37,700 | $70,350 | 470 |
| Idaho | $56,540 | $53,150 | $41,910 | $60,290 | 150 |
| Iowa | $55,800 | $51,060 | $40,310 | $55,800 | 200 |
| Washington | $54,060 | $54,660 | $40,080 | $67,290 | 600 |
| Missouri | $53,670 | $51,980 | $34,020 | $61,960 | 270 |
| New York | $53,650 | $54,330 | $40,050 | $70,780 | 670 |
| West Virginia | $52,640 | $48,970 | $28,870 | $64,420 | 130 |
| Indiana | $52,000 | $53,330 | $38,860 | $63,970 | 720 |
| New Hampshire | $51,300 | $50,820 | $37,290 | $60,830 | 60 |
| North Dakota | $51,080 | $51,780 | $40,090 | $61,990 | 110 |
| Oregon | $50,620 | $51,740 | $35,500 | $64,310 | 470 |
| Wisconsin | $50,220 | $52,460 | $38,530 | $66,820 | 430 |
| Nebraska | $49,300 | $46,120 | $32,750 | $56,840 | 120 |
| Alabama | $49,010 | $50,910 | $40,840 | $60,790 | 1,100 |
| Maine | $48,600 | $50,790 | $40,720 | $63,530 | 40 |
| Colorado | $48,320 | $50,660 | $39,840 | $62,450 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,080 | $49,230 | $34,500 | $64,590 | 450 |
| Georgia | $47,170 | $48,200 | $33,870 | $64,770 | 730 |
| Kansas | $46,570 | $51,070 | $42,570 | $73,790 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $46,420 | $46,900 | $36,570 | $58,290 | 420 |
| Louisiana | $46,350 | $48,200 | $30,720 | $62,150 | 180 |
| Arkansas | $45,510 | $45,960 | $34,220 | $53,160 | 310 |
| California | $44,340 | $47,760 | $35,750 | $61,680 | 1,100 |
| Tennessee | $43,880 | $44,640 | $37,700 | $53,470 | 530 |
| Mississippi | $43,680 | $42,290 | $31,350 | $50,560 | 370 |
| Connecticut | $43,300 | $47,130 | $37,280 | $58,400 | 30 |
| Oklahoma | $43,230 | $48,690 | $30,420 | $82,250 | 340 |
| Texas | $43,080 | $46,510 | $28,830 | $66,450 | 920 |
| South Dakota | $43,010 | $48,320 | $39,040 | $63,500 | 60 |
| Michigan | $42,360 | $45,450 | $31,650 | $67,140 | 520 |
| Vermont | $41,450 | $43,370 | $35,900 | $50,860 | 30 |
| North Carolina | $41,270 | $41,180 | $27,960 | $53,980 | 770 |
| Arizona | $40,490 | $44,350 | $37,430 | $66,890 | 230 |
| Ohio | $40,060 | $43,920 | $34,830 | $63,560 | 1,210 |
| Florida | $38,370 | $40,920 | $32,240 | $56,930 | 360 |
| Utah | $37,180 | $42,410 | $30,550 | $64,660 | 160 |
| Montana | $29,330 | $37,560 | $24,870 | $55,240 | 100 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Ager Operator or Annealer frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
Explore More Data Tools
For adjacent public-data tools, methodology notes, and network updates, visit DataPeek Facts.