BLS metro-level wage data places Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay in Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI at a median of $53,090 per year ($25.52/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $48,040, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pays +11% above, signaling either concentrated employer demand, a cost-of-living premium, or both. Approximately 100 furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenderss are employed across the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn MSA in SOC 51-9051.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn pay distribution spans from $34,320 at the 10th percentile to $69,290 at the 90th — a 2.0× spread that reflects experience tenure, specialization, employer size, and the difference between public-sector, nonprofit, and private-sector compensation inside the metro. The 25th percentile sits at $36,510 and the 75th at $61,350, so half of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn-based furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenderss earn within that middle band.

Metro figures capture where you actually work, not just where you live — which matters for commuters. BLS draws metro boundaries from the OMB MSA definitions, so Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI covers the central city plus outlying counties tied to the metro economically. Remember that OEWS wages reflect base pay only: employer-provided health insurance, retirement matches, stock options, signing bonuses, overtime, and tips are excluded and can add 20-40% to real total compensation. Before using this metro median as a negotiation anchor, triangulate against the same occupation's national profile (linked below), its state-wide MI data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.