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The national median salary for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is $54,434 per year ($26.17/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $46,072 and $62,816 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $74,485 per year. There are approximately 16,780 metal-refining furnace operators and tenders employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.3%
Slower than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
21K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing
NAICS 331400
4K
$59,740
Foundries
NAICS 331500
4K
$49,210
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing
NAICS 331100
3K
$58,450
Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing
NAICS 331300
2K
$63,360
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
NAICS 3320A1
610
$48,530
Wage range across top 5 industries: $48,530 to $63,360 (31% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$18.85
$39,208
P25
$22.15
$46,072
P50MEDIAN
$26.17
$54,434
P75
$30.20
$62,816
P90
$35.81
$74,485
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average metal-refining furnace operators and tenders salary?
The national median salary for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is $54,434 per year ($26.17/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $46,072 and $62,816 annually.
How much do top-earning metal-refining furnace operators and tenders make?
The 90th percentile salary for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is $74,485 per year ($35.81/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,816 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for metal-refining furnace operators and tenders?
Entry-level Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (10th percentile) earn approximately $39,208 per year ($18.85/hr). The 25th percentile is $46,072 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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