Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9192

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Median pay sits 42% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, Chemical Plant and System Operators, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9192 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations
  2. 2. Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions
  3. 3. Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines
  4. 4. Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity
  5. 5. Adjust, clean, and lubricate mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns
  6. 6. Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water
  7. 7. Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried frui…
  8. 8. Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs
  9. 9. Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions
  10. 10. Load machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks
  11. 11. Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9192 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.3
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.1
  3. 3. Active Listening 2.9
  4. 4. Speaking 2.9
  5. 5. Critical Thinking 2.9
  6. 6. Monitoring 2.9
  7. 7. Time Management 2.9
  8. 8. Reading Comprehension 2.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.9
  2. 2. English Language 3.0
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 2.8
  4. 4. Psychology 2.7
  5. 5. Education and Training 2.5
  6. 6. Chemistry 2.4
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-42%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $43,530/yr
$44K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
1,600
Annual openings
14,760
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

1. Pennsylvania $48,000
2. Nebraska $45,690
3. Maine $64,610
4. Washington $45,600
5. North Dakota $48,240
6. Wisconsin $54,290
7. New York $46,290
8. Iowa $46,970
9. New Hampshire $47,510
10. Oregon $49,130

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  4. 4. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  5. 5. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  6. 6. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders sits 42% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $43,530.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,600 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Pennsylvania at $48,000. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders pay-rank #73 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders lands at #73, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders pays 42% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9192

Pennsylvania · top state for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

$48K published median

Nebraska · #2 state pay

$46K · behind Pennsylvania

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders · $97K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders · $63K

Compare Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders is pay-rank #73 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing ($43K), Etchers and Engravers ($43K), Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders ($43K), Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($44K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders. Leading ones include: 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; Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders? ▼
For SOC 51-9192, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.3), Operations Monitoring (3.1), Active Listening (2.9), Speaking (2.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, English Language, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $43,530 as the national median for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders. The published 10th-90th range is $33,790 to $58,570. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 1,600. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders? ▼
Pennsylvania ($48,000), Nebraska ($45,690), Maine ($64,610) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9192. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics