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Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Job Description
Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.
What Tasks Do Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic span:
- Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated.
- Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
- Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations.
- Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them.
- Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal.
- Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths.
- Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature.
- Instruct new workers in machine operation.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Annealer
- Annealing Furnace Operator
- Annealing Furnace Tender
- Annealing Oven Operator
- Annealing Torch Operator
- Bagger
- Base-Draw Operator
- Batch Heat Treat Operator
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 350,926 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +13.7% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $51,258 |
| Hourly median | $24.64 |
| 10th percentile | $35,845 |
| 25th percentile | $43,552 |
| 75th percentile | $58,965 |
| 90th percentile | $66,671 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $64,040 |
| Oregon | $62,200 |
| Colorado | $56,810 |
| Massachusetts | $55,340 |
| West Virginia | $55,100 |
| New York | $52,470 |
| Kentucky | $51,360 |
| Kansas | $50,890 |
| Arizona | $50,220 |
| New Hampshire | $50,170 |
| Iowa | $49,560 |
| Ohio | $49,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,250 |
| Virginia | $48,680 |
| Indiana | $48,590 |
| Mississippi | $48,360 |
| Michigan | $48,320 |
| California | $48,280 |
| Missouri | $48,070 |
| Wisconsin | $47,950 |
| Nebraska | $47,300 |
| Minnesota | $46,940 |
| Utah | $46,360 |
| South Carolina | $45,310 |
| New Jersey | $45,100 |
| Alabama | $44,720 |
| Texas | $43,910 |
| Florida | $43,780 |
| North Carolina | $43,580 |
| Illinois | $41,710 |
| Oklahoma | $41,270 |
| Georgia | $40,670 |
| Tennessee | $38,170 |
| Connecticut | $38,000 |
| Arkansas | $34,970 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $52,310 | 7.6% | 0.52 |
| Rocky Mountains | $50,760 | 1.3% | 0.51 |
| Middle Atlantic | $49,265 | 13.2% | 1.94 |
| Plains States | $48,488 | 5.0% | 0.92 |
| Great Lakes | $47,470 | 36.5% | 2.69 |
| New England | $46,385 | 3.3% | 1.01 |
| Southwest | $44,141 | 15.4% | 1.38 |
| Southeast | $43,809 | 17.7% | 1.15 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $66,860 | 120 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $64,420 | 30 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $64,390 | 140 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $62,260 | 70 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | TX | $61,810 | 40 |
| Tulsa, OK | OK | $60,380 | 30 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $59,740 | 80 |
| Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN | TN | $58,740 | 40 |
Top Industries Employing Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Most heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 13,440 | $47,470 |
| Wholesale Trade | 610 | $47,850 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 360 | $37,040 |
| Construction | 40 | $47,100 |
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic reflects the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Contaminants
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (Primary-Short)
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic commonly pursue programs in:
Precision Production
2 programs across 1 majors
Sources
This profile draws on 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: 51-4191.00 (Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic).
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