Occupation salary profile

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

SOC 51-4051 BLS OEWS May 2025

Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel. Excludes “Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4191).

National median · BLS
$54,430
▼ -2.4% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$55,490
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
16,780
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$39,200
25th$46,080
Median (50th)$54,430
75th$62,810
90th — top pay$74,470

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Monthly—
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Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

BLS projects employment of metal-refining furnace operators and tenders to decline 2.9% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 1,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
16,800 → 16,300
-500 jobs
Projected change
-2.9%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operations Monitoring3.9
  • Operation and Control3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Active Listening3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
  • Critical Thinking3.0
  • Quality Control Analysis3.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Active Learning2.9
Top knowledge areas
  • Production and Processing4.0
  • Mechanical3.7
  • Public Safety and Security3.2
  • Administration and Management3.2
  • Education and Training3.0
  • Customer and Personal Service2.8
  • Chemistry2.8
  • Mathematics2.7
Software and technology used
Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareProcess control softwareProcess safety management softwareProduction tracking system software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What metal-refining furnace operators and tenders do

  • 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 materials meet specifications.
  • Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.
  • Record production data, and maintain production logs.
  • Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
  • Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
  • Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
  • Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
Also called
Central Melt SpecialistFurnace OperatorMelterVacuum MelterArc and Argon Oxygen Decarburization Melter (ARC and AOD Melter)Automatic Furnace OperatorControl Room OperatorElectric Melt OperatorMelt Room OperatorVessel Operator
More job titles for this occupation (80)
BackbreakerBessemer Converter BlowerBessemer Converter OperatorBessemer RegulatorBlade Bender Furnace TenderBlast Furnace BlowerBlast Furnace KeeperBlast Furnace OperatorBlast Furnace TenderBlower OperatorBurnerBurner TenderCadmium BurnerCharge OperatorChargerCharger OperatorCharging Machine OperatorCoke BurnerCoke DrawerCondenser SetterConverterConverter OperatorConverter SkimmerCooler OperatorCopper TapperCover OperatorCrucible Furnace TenderCupola MelterCupola OperatorCupola TenderDesilverizerElectric Arc Furnace OperatorElectric Furnace OperatorFettlerFire RegulatorFlux Plant OperatorFlux Tube AttendantFurnace ChargerFurnace CheckerFurnace Door TenderFurnace FillerFurnace FirerFurnace HandFurnace KeeperFurnace LoaderFurnace PuncherFurnace RoasterFurnace TapperGas ReverserGas TenderHearth FeederHot BallerHot Blast WorkerHot Car ChargerHot Iron WorkerHot Metal Car OperatorHot Metal ChargerInduction Furnace OperatorIngot PasserIron CasterIron FounderIron MelterKettle SkimmerKettle WorkerKiln BurnerKiln FirerKiln OperatorKiln PackerKiln TenderLead Furnace OperatorLead RefinerLead Shop OperatorLevelerManganese HeaterMelt Down Furnace OperatorMelting Furnace SkimmerMelting OperatorMetal Furnace OperatorMetal MelterMetal Off Bearer

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.