Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Also called: Acid Dipper, Agitator, Agricultural Produce Washer, Air Table Operator, Ampoule Washing Machine Operator, Anodizer, Bag Bleacher, Barrel Cleaner
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
What Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders do
Typical tasks
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
- Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
- Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
- Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
- Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity.
- Adjust, clean, and lubricate mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns.
- Load machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders salary
The median annual wage for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders is $43,530 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $33,790 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $58,570. The mean annual wage is $44,600.
The mean hourly wage of $21.00 is 2.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $43,530 → in 3 years $47,500 → in 5 years $50,400 → in 10 years $58,400 (10-year range $50,200–$67,800). The model assumes pay growth of +3.0% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.