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Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$47010	1900	3.0%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$47010

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

1900

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

3.0%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Up to and including 1 month

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Detailed Work Activities

Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Record operational or production data.
Confer with others to resolve production problems or equipment malfunctions.
Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
Clean production equipment.
Maintain production or processing equipment.
Lubricate production equipment.
Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
Clear equipment jams.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Calculate specific material, equipment, or labor requirements for production.
Load materials into production equipment.
Melt metal, plastic, or other materials to prepare for production.
Replace worn equipment components.
Direct operational or production activities.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.
Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.
Weigh or measure specified amounts of ingredients or materials for processing, using devices such as scales and calipers.
Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed.
Feed fuel, such as coal and coke, into fireboxes or onto conveyors, and remove ashes from furnaces, using shovels and buckets.
Replace worn or defective equipment parts, using hand tools.
Clean, lubricate, and adjust equipment, using scrapers, solvents, air hoses, oil, and hand tools.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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