51 Series · SOC 51-4191
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $48,750
- Median / year
- $66,350
- Top 10% earn
- -12.8%
- Growth '23–'33
- 14,000
- US workers
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $48,750 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $48,750, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,180 (10th percentile) to $66,350 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 14,000 US workers. Washington pays the most ($61,990), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $48,750, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 30% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #42 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 12.8% by 2033.
- $48,750
- Median annual wage
- Top 70%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #42 of 105
- in Production
- 1.9×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $61,990. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4191) pays a national median of $48,750 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,180 at the 10th percentile to $66,350 at the 90th, with a mean of $50,450 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 14,000 Americans work in this occupation across 37 reporting states and 90 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -12.8% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,200 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $61,990, which is +27% above the national figure. The top metro is Canton-Massillon, OH at $67,070 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$48,750
per year
Median Hourly
$23.44/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$50,450
average
Employment
14,000
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$48,750 Bottom 30% higher than 30% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits on the slower-growing side at -12.8% growth and $48,750 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-12.8%
Declining
Annual Openings
1,200
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
- ▸ Determine flame temperatures, current frequencies, heating cycles, and induction heating coils needed, based on degree of hardness required and properties of stock to be treated.
- ▸ Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
- ▸ Determine types and temperatures of baths and quenching media needed to attain specified part hardness, toughness, and ductility, using heat-treating charts and knowledge of methods, equipment, and metals.
- ▸ Examine parts to ensure metal shades and colors conform to specifications, using knowledge of metal heat-treating.
- ▸ Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
- ▸ Set and adjust speeds of reels and conveyors for prescribed time cycles to pass parts through continuous furnaces.
- ▸ Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
- ▸ Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
- ▸ Load parts into containers and place containers on conveyors to be inserted into furnaces, or insert parts into furnaces.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,180
25th Percentile
$40,660
Median
$48,750
75th Percentile
$58,400
90th Percentile
$66,350
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
Lowest Paying States
View all 37 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $61,990 | +27% above national |
| 2 | Oregon | $60,280 | +24% above national |
| 3 | Colorado | $58,300 | +20% above national |
| 4 | West Virginia | $56,880 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Virginia | $55,070 | +13% above national |
| 6 | Tennessee | $54,930 | +13% above national |
| 7 | New York | $52,940 | +9% above national |
| 8 | Ohio | $52,880 | +8% above national |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $52,250 | +7% above national |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $51,680 | +6% above national |
| 11 | Arizona | $50,660 | +4% above national |
| 12 | Michigan | $50,560 | +4% above national |
| 13 | California | $50,150 | +3% above national |
| 14 | Iowa | $49,760 | +2% above national |
| 15 | New Jersey | $49,640 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $49,280 | +1% above national |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $49,100 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $48,800 | same as national |
| 19 | Nebraska | $48,120 | 1% below national |
| 20 | Missouri | $47,980 | 2% below national |
| 21 | Utah | $47,860 | 2% below national |
| 22 | Kansas | $47,500 | 3% below national |
| 23 | Florida | $47,370 | 3% below national |
| 24 | Kentucky | $47,090 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Alabama | $46,920 | 4% below national |
| 26 | Indiana | $46,860 | 4% below national |
| 27 | South Carolina | $46,750 | 4% below national |
| 28 | North Carolina | $46,660 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Mississippi | $46,630 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Maine | $45,590 | 6% below national |
| 31 | Illinois | $45,340 | 7% below national |
| 32 | Connecticut | $44,350 | 9% below national |
| 33 | Georgia | $44,050 | 10% below national |
| 34 | Texas | $41,690 | 14% below national |
| 35 | Minnesota | $41,100 | 16% below national |
| 36 | Arkansas | $37,590 | 23% below national |
| 37 | Louisiana | $35,180 | 28% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 90 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $67,070 | +38% above national |
| 2 | Oklahoma City, OK | $65,640 | +35% above national |
| 3 | Albany, OR | $64,210 | +32% above national |
| 4 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $63,960 | +31% above national |
| 5 | Columbus, OH | $62,530 | +28% above national |
| 6 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,990 | +27% above national |
| 7 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $61,130 | +25% above national |
| 8 | Worcester, MA | $61,050 | +25% above national |
| 9 | Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $60,340 | +24% above national |
| 10 | Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | $60,190 | +23% above national |
| 11 | Springfield, MA | $60,110 | +23% above national |
| 12 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $59,530 | +22% above national |
| 13 | Peoria, IL | $59,160 | +21% above national |
| 14 | Pittsburgh, PA | $58,890 | +21% above national |
| 15 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $58,300 | +20% above national |
| 16 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $58,250 | +19% above national |
| 17 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $57,800 | +19% above national |
| 18 | York-Hanover, PA | $57,290 | +18% above national |
| 19 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $56,380 | +16% above national |
| 20 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $56,280 | +15% above national |
| 21 | Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $55,810 | +14% above national |
| 22 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $55,650 | +14% above national |
| 23 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $55,370 | +14% above national |
| 24 | Rochester, NY | $54,170 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Akron, OH | $54,120 | +11% above national |
| 26 | Reading, PA | $53,860 | +10% above national |
| 27 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $53,490 | +10% above national |
| 28 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $53,100 | +9% above national |
| 29 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $52,680 | +8% above national |
| 30 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $52,610 | +8% above national |
| 31 | Richmond, VA | $52,340 | +7% above national |
| 32 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $51,430 | +5% above national |
| 33 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $51,190 | +5% above national |
| 34 | Monroe, MI | $51,020 | +5% above national |
| 35 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $50,990 | +5% above national |
| 36 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $50,920 | +4% above national |
| 37 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $50,900 | +4% above national |
| 38 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $50,790 | +4% above national |
| 39 | Cleveland, OH | $50,690 | +4% above national |
| 40 | Spartanburg, SC | $50,280 | +3% above national |
| 41 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,010 | +3% above national |
| 42 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $49,680 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,650 | +2% above national |
| 44 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $49,620 | +2% above national |
| 45 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $49,600 | +2% above national |
| 46 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $49,470 | +1% above national |
| 47 | South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | $49,430 | +1% above national |
| 48 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $49,280 | +1% above national |
| 49 | Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $49,190 | +1% above national |
| 50 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $49,100 | +1% above national |
| 51 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,740 | same as national |
| 52 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $48,670 | same as national |
| 53 | Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $48,640 | same as national |
| 54 | Saginaw, MI | $48,340 | 1% below national |
| 55 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,240 | 1% below national |
| 56 | Northern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,220 | 1% below national |
| 57 | Erie, PA | $48,120 | 1% below national |
| 58 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $48,060 | 1% below national |
| 59 | Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $47,980 | 2% below national |
| 60 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $47,930 | 2% below national |
| 61 | West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $47,750 | 2% below national |
| 62 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $47,590 | 2% below national |
| 63 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $47,550 | 2% below national |
| 64 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $47,430 | 3% below national |
| 65 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $47,160 | 3% below national |
| 66 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $47,150 | 3% below national |
| 67 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $47,110 | 3% below national |
| 68 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $47,090 | 3% below national |
| 69 | Jackson, MS | $46,630 | 4% below national |
| 70 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $46,510 | 5% below national |
| 71 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $46,270 | 5% below national |
| 72 | East Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $46,190 | 5% below national |
| 73 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $45,700 | 6% below national |
| 74 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $45,640 | 6% below national |
| 75 | Birmingham, AL | $45,440 | 7% below national |
| 76 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $45,110 | 7% below national |
| 77 | East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $45,110 | 7% below national |
| 78 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $45,100 | 7% below national |
| 79 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $45,050 | 8% below national |
| 80 | New Haven, CT | $44,350 | 9% below national |
| 81 | Fort Wayne, IN | $43,960 | 10% below national |
| 82 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $41,600 | 15% below national |
| 83 | Knoxville, TN | $40,940 | 16% below national |
| 84 | East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area | $40,820 | 16% below national |
| 85 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $40,300 | 17% below national |
| 86 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $39,560 | 19% below national |
| 87 | Rockford, IL | $39,240 | 20% below national |
| 88 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $36,510 | 25% below national |
| 89 | Columbus, IN | $34,650 | 29% below national |
| 90 | North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | $26,710 | 45% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make? ▼
What state pays Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
How dangerous is being a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Is Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic a good career? ▼
How does Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $58,400/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $61,990/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.