Find Trade Colleges
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders: Career Overview
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
What Do Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Take On?
The core tasks performed by cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders span:
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
- Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
- Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
- Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
What Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Need to Know
Top cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Acid Dipper
- Agitator
- Agricultural Produce Washer
- Air Table Operator
- Ampoule Washing Machine Operator
- Anodizer
- Bag Bleacher
- Barrel Cleaner
Employment and Demand
There are about 47,560 cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +2.2% over the projection horizon.
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $63,526 |
| Hourly median | $30.54 |
| 10th percentile | $36,116 |
| 25th percentile | $49,821 |
| 75th percentile | $77,231 |
| 90th percentile | $90,936 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Virginia | $55,900 |
| Wisconsin | $51,410 |
| New York | $50,430 |
| Minnesota | $47,310 |
| North Dakota | $46,760 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,300 |
| Louisiana | $45,270 |
| Massachusetts | $45,050 |
| Oregon | $43,870 |
| California | $43,770 |
| Utah | $43,730 |
| Indiana | $43,290 |
| Michigan | $43,040 |
| New Jersey | $42,180 |
| Iowa | $42,060 |
| South Dakota | $41,600 |
| New Hampshire | $41,590 |
| Kansas | $41,560 |
| Georgia | $41,320 |
| Maine | $41,070 |
| Montana | $40,650 |
| Arkansas | $40,430 |
| Kentucky | $40,140 |
| Ohio | $39,980 |
| South Carolina | $39,980 |
| Washington | $39,790 |
| Tennessee | $39,680 |
| Connecticut | $39,330 |
| Missouri | $39,240 |
| Arizona | $38,550 |
| Rhode Island | $38,520 |
| Oklahoma | $38,360 |
| Texas | $38,330 |
| Nebraska | $38,260 |
| North Carolina | $37,640 |
| Florida | $35,630 |
| Alabama | $34,920 |
| Mississippi | $34,410 |
| Idaho | $32,060 |
| Nevada | $31,200 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,050 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $45,835 | 9.8% | 0.89 |
| Far Western US | $42,902 | 21.6% | 1.43 |
| Great Lakes | $42,640 | 20.1% | 2.09 |
| Plains States | $40,515 | 8.7% | 2.05 |
| Southeast | $39,960 | 17.4% | 1.06 |
| Rocky Mountains | $39,412 | 2.6% | 1.29 |
| New England | $39,132 | 4.0% | 1.02 |
| Southwest | $38,372 | 13.8% | 1.85 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | WI | $63,300 | 50 |
| Reading, PA | PA | $57,050 | 60 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | VA | $55,900 | 30 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | NY | $55,560 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $53,130 | 40 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $52,380 | 40 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $50,800 | 40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $49,750 | 120 |
Which Industries Hire Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
The largest employers of cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 10,970 | $42,120 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 900 | $36,200 |
| Wholesale Trade | 750 | $42,600 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 320 | $51,420 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 300 | $38,460 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 250 | $47,130 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 140 | $37,090 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 70 | $43,380 |
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Standing
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Spend Time Walking or Running
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How to Become Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Most cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (Supplemental)
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers (Primary-Short)
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders (Primary-Short)
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9192.00 (Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders).
TradeCollege.org provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. TradeCollege.org is a for-profit site, and the displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© TradeCollege.org – All Rights Reserved.