Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders Salary
Production Occupations · 17K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$54,430
Median hourly
$26
Average annual
$55,490
Typical range
$39,200–$74,470
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is $54,430 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $26 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $39,200 and $74,470 a year. There are roughly 17K people employed as metal-refining furnace operators and tenders in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.
- Hourly
- $26.17
- Daily
- $209
- Weekly
- $1,047
- Bi-weekly
- $2,093
- Monthly
- $4,536
- Annual
- $54,430
$54,430 a year is around the 50th percentile for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenderss. The median is $54,430.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Minnesota$75,880
- 2New Jersey$75,020
- 3New York$66,440
- 4Oregon$64,410
- 5Washington$62,850
- 6North Carolina$60,780
- 7Utah$60,510
- 8Arizona$59,830
- 9Kentucky$59,040
- 10Massachusetts$58,480
- 11California$58,310
- 12Indiana$58,300
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA$85,370
- 2Utica-Rome, NY$77,560
- 3Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$74,060
- 4Reading, PA$68,990
- 5Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$67,360
- 6Cleveland, OH$65,660
- 7Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$63,170
- 8Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$63,170
- 9Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$61,780
- 10Huntsville, AL$61,390
- 11Pittsburgh, PA$60,810
- 12Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$60,510
Related job titles
Employers advertise Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,750
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders$48,040
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$51,610
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$47,920
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders$43,530
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,760
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$44,350
What a Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders does
- 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.
- Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
- Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
- Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.
- Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.
- Record production data, and maintain production logs.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders make?
- The median annual wage for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is $54,430 ($26 per hour). Pay ranges from about $39,200 at the 10th percentile to $74,470 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $55,490, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenderss the most?
- Minnesota has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $75,880.
- Is Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 17K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders do?
- 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..