BLS metro-level wage data places Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders pay in Anniston-Oxford, AL at a median of $50,420 per year ($24.24/hr/hour), drawn from the OEWS May 2025 release for this Metropolitan Statistical Area. Compared to the national median of $54,430, Anniston-Oxford pays 7% below, which typically tracks with a lower local cost of living or smaller specialized-employer cluster. Approximately 70 metal-refining furnace operators and tenderss are employed across the Anniston-Oxford MSA in SOC 51-4051.

The Anniston-Oxford pay distribution spans from $42,530 at the 10th percentile to $57,740 at the 90th — a 1.4× 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 $50,420 and the 75th at $50,470, so half of Anniston-Oxford-based metal-refining furnace 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 Anniston-Oxford, AL 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 AL data, and peer-metro comparisons — a median is a starting point, not a ceiling.