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Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in South Dakota

Thinking about a career as a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in South Dakota? Here’s what you need to know. Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.

What do Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders Make in South Dakota?

For a furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders working in South Dakota, wages run about $43,010 per year (or about $20.68/hour).Pay can range from $39,040 at the 10th percentile to $63,500 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$39,040	$18.77
25th percentile	$40,590	$19.51
Median (50th)	$43,010	$20.68
75th percentile	$60,690	$29.18
90th percentile	$63,500	$30.53

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in South Dakota relative to the national average — is 1.32, meaning that furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders earn a median of $66,383 per year ($31.92/hour), below the South Dakota median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 535,060 furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders across the United States. In South Dakota alone, about 60 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 270 furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders.

Top States for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders Employment

These states have the highest employment of furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders work.

State	Number Employed
Ohio	1,210
California	1,100
Alabama	1,100
Texas	920
North Carolina	770
Georgia	730
Indiana	720
New York	670
Washington	600
Tennessee	530
Michigan	520
New Jersey	480
Oregon	470
Illinois	470
Pennsylvania	450
Wisconsin	430
South Carolina	420
Mississippi	370
Florida	360
Oklahoma	340

Highest-Paying States for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Where furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders earn the most: furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders.

State	Annual Median Salary
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

Skills

Key furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Common tasks include:

• Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
• Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
• Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
• Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
• Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
• Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
• Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.
• Stop equipment and clear blockages or jams, using fingers, wire, or hand tools.
• Load equipment receptacles or conveyors with material to be processed, by hand or using hoists.
• Remove products from equipment, manually or using hoists, and prepare them for storage, shipment, or additional processing.
• Calculate amounts of materials to be loaded into furnaces, adjusting amounts as necessary for specific conditions.
• Melt or refine metal before casting, calculating required temperatures, and observe metal color, adjusting controls as necessary to maintain required temperatures.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Processing Information
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Other careers like furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders include:

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Maintenance Workers, Machinery
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Also Known As

Ager Operator, Annealer, Annealing Operator, Autoclave Operator, Automated Process Operator, Back Tender, Backing-in Machine Tender, Ballman, Base Draw Operator, Batch and Furnace Operator, Beehive Kiln Charcoal Burner, Black Ash Burner Operator, Black Mill Operator, Boiler, Boiler Attendant.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-9051.00