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Skilled Trades

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$48,750

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$35k – $66k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Entry / Junior

    $35,180

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Established

    $48,750

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Senior

    $57,550

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.