Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders to grow 3.4% from 2025 to 2035 (about 500 more jobs), with about 1,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $43,530 a year ranks 684th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.4%
- Openings a year
- 1,700
- Median pay
- $43,530
- Pay rank
- 684th of 825
Is employment of cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders to rise 3.4% (about 500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the -0.4% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 105 production occupations with a projection. That change ranks 364th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 16,200 |
| Employment, 2035 | 16,800 |
| Projected change | +3.4% |
| Openings a year | 1,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 16,200 jobs here differ from the 14,760 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 572nd most of 830 occupations. About 97% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 50 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders rank?
The median of $43,530 a year ranks 684th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: moderate-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -5.7% | 5,200 | $51,610 |
| Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -6.1% | 7,900 | $48,990 |
| Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders | +2.6% | 1,800 | $48,040 |
| Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | -12.5% | 600 | $38,180 |
| Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers | +4.3% | 28,200 | $34,890 |
| Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders | +5.9% | 800 | $41,330 |
| Chemical Plant and System Operators | -5.2% | 1,300 | $78,120 |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | -1.7% | 2,300 | $48,540 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.