Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called: Annealer, Annealing Furnace Operator, Annealing Furnace Tender, Annealing Oven Operator, Annealing Torch Operator, Bagger, Base-Draw Operator, Batch Heat Treat Operator
Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.
What Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do
Typical tasks
- Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
- Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
- Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
- Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
- Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
- Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths.
- Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature.
- Instruct new workers in machine operation.
- Determine flame temperatures, current frequencies, heating cycles, and induction heating coils needed, based on degree of hardness required and properties of stock to be treated.
- Determine types and temperatures of baths and quenching media needed to attain specified part hardness, toughness, and ductility, using heat-treating charts and knowledge of methods, equipment, and metals.
- Examine parts to ensure metal shades and colors conform to specifications, using knowledge of metal heat-treating.
- Set and adjust speeds of reels and conveyors for prescribed time cycles to pass parts through continuous furnaces.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary
The median annual wage for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is $48,750 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $35,180 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $66,350. The mean annual wage is $50,450.
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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,750 → in 3 years $52,400 → in 5 years $54,900 → in 10 years $61,900 (10-year range $53,300–$71,900). The model assumes pay growth of +2.4% 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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? 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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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 Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.