Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4051

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Median pay sits 27% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers ($74K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4051 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures
  2. 2. Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that mate…
  3. 3. Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes…
  4. 4. Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales
  5. 5. Record production data, and maintain production logs
  6. 6. Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures
  7. 7. Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces
  8. 8. Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear
  9. 9. Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles
  10. 10. Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers
  11. 11. Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators
  12. 12. Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4051 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.9
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.8
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.6
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.0
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 4.0
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.7
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.2
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.2
  5. 5. Education and Training 3.0
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.8
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-27%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $54,430/yr
$54K
National median
↓ -2%
Growth 2024-2034
2,000
Annual openings
16,780
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 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

1. Washington $62,850
2. Kentucky $59,040
3. Arizona $59,830
4. North Carolina $60,780
5. New Jersey $75,020
6. Utah $60,510
7. Minnesota $75,880
8. Massachusetts $58,480
9. Oregon $64,410
10. New York $66,440

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  3. 3. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  4. 4. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  5. 5. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders sits 27% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $54,430.

Employment Projections expect -2% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,000 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: Washington at $62,850. 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.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders pay-rank #23 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is pay-rank #23, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-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.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders pays 27% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4051

Washington · top state for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

$63K published median

Kentucky · #2 state pay

$59K · behind Washington

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · $97K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · $63K

Compare Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders at the top of the pay table? ▼
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is pay-rank #23 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers ($54K), Engine and Other Machine Assemblers ($54K), Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($53K), Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers ($53K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do metal-refining furnace operators and tenders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders. Leading ones include: 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 mate…; Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes…; Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for metal-refining furnace operators and tenders? ▼
For SOC 51-4051, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.9), Operation and Control (3.8), Monitoring (3.6), Reading Comprehension (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $54,430 as the national median for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders. The published 10th-90th range is $39,200 to $74,470. 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 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is -2%. Projected annual openings: about 2,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders? ▼
Washington ($62,850), Kentucky ($59,040), Arizona ($59,830) 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 Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4051. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Metal-Refining Furnace 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