Average Salary for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
SOC 51-9051 · Production Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in the United States is $47,010 ($22.60/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $35,010 at the 10th percentile to $66,190 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 16,160 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 34.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$47,010
Mean Annual
$49,250
10th Pct
$35,010
75th Pct
$57,840
Employment
16,160
Salary Distribution
$35k
10th
$39k
25th
$47k
Median
$58k
75th
$66k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $79,270 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $75,010 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $66,830 |
| Richmond, VA | $62,620 |
| Vineland, NJ | $62,480 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $61,770 |
| Madison, WI | $60,700 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $60,100 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $59,430 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $57,320 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $57,270 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $56,410 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $55,330 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $55,130 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $54,060 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Kentucky | $75,220 |
| Maryland | $75,000 |
| Wyoming | $74,530 |
| Nevada | $66,800 |
| Virginia | $64,510 |
| Minnesota | $60,130 |
| Massachusetts | $59,760 |
| New Jersey | $58,510 |
| Illinois | $57,140 |
| Idaho | $56,540 |
| Iowa | $55,800 |
| Washington | $54,060 |
| Missouri | $53,670 |
| New York | $53,650 |
| West Virginia | $52,640 |
| Indiana | $52,000 |
| New Hampshire | $51,300 |
| North Dakota | $51,080 |
| Oregon | $50,620 |
| Wisconsin | $50,220 |
| Nebraska | $49,300 |
| Alabama | $49,010 |
| Maine | $48,600 |
| Colorado | $48,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,080 |
| Georgia | $47,170 |
| Kansas | $46,570 |
| South Carolina | $46,420 |
| Louisiana | $46,350 |
| Arkansas | $45,510 |
| California | $44,340 |
| Tennessee | $43,880 |
| Mississippi | $43,680 |
| Connecticut | $43,300 |
| Oklahoma | $43,230 |
| Texas | $43,080 |
| South Dakota | $43,010 |
| Michigan | $42,360 |
| Vermont | $41,450 |
| North Carolina | $41,270 |
| Arizona | $40,490 |
| Ohio | $40,060 |
| Florida | $38,370 |
| Utah | $37,180 |
| Montana | $29,330 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Waste Treatment and Disposal | $71,400 |
| Paper Manufacturing | $65,510 |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $65,510 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,190 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $65,190 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,190 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $65,190 |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | $63,950 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $62,340 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $62,340 |
| Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | $59,690 |
| Waste Management and Remediation Services | $59,000 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | $56,670 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying | $56,390 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $56,070 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | $55,800 |
| Mining (except Oil and Gas) | $55,680 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | $55,350 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $54,170 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $54,170 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $54,170 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $53,710 |
| Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $53,670 |
| Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | $53,470 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | $51,130 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $50,120 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | $50,120 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | $50,100 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $49,600 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $49,600 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | $49,300 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | $49,210 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $48,710 |
| Sawmills and Wood Preservation | $48,540 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $48,090 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $48,090 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $47,910 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $47,730 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $47,730 |
| Manufacturing | $47,290 |
| Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | $47,260 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $46,980 |
| Wholesale Trade | $46,960 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $46,870 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | $46,330 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | $46,080 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | $45,430 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $45,360 |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | $45,270 |
| Foundries | $43,070 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | $42,880 |
| Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | $42,410 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $42,280 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $40,590 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | $40,470 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | $40,470 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | $40,470 |
| Food Manufacturing | $39,120 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing | $39,100 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | $38,300 |
| Educational Services | $38,190 |
| Other Schools and Instruction | $38,190 |
| Educational Services | $38,190 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $38,170 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | $37,860 |
| Employment Services | $37,480 |
| Temporary Help Services | $37,480 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $37,440 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | $36,810 |
| Retail Trade | $36,510 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers | $34,620 |
| Dairy Product Manufacturing | $34,080 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $31,170 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $47,010 |
| 2023 | $45,640 |
| 2022 | $44,530 |
| 2021 | $43,710 |
| 2020 | $40,670 |
| 2019 | $40,090 |
| 2018 | $39,160 |
| 2017 | $37,580 |
| 2016 | $36,040 |
| 2015 | $35,360 |
| 2014 | $34,900 |