Skilled Trades
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
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.
Median salary
$55,770
Typical range
$39k – $80k
Job outlook
See national outlook
AI exposure
Plan a path to Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Entry / Junior
$38,760
~2 yrs to advance
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Established
$55,770
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Senior
$68,025
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.