Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Also called: Ager Operator, Annealer, Annealing Operator, Autoclave Operator, Automated Process Operator, Back Tender, Backing-in Machine Tender, Ballman
Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment.
What Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders do
Typical tasks
- Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
- Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
- Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
- Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
- Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
- Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
- Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
- Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
- Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.
- Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
- Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders salary
The median annual wage for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders is $48,040 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $35,960 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $69,800. The mean annual wage is $50,940.
The mean hourly wage of $24.00 is 3.3× 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,040 → in 3 years $52,500 → in 5 years $55,600 → in 10 years $64,500 (10-year range $55,400–$74,800). 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle 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 Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.