Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Furnace Operator
- Heat Treat Operator
- Heat Treat Technician
- Heat Treater
Alternate Job Titles
- Annealer
- Annealing Furnace Operator
- Annealing Furnace Tender
- Annealing Oven Operator
- Annealing Torch Operator
- Bagger
- Base-Draw Operator
- Batch Heat Treat Operator
- Batch Operator
- Billet Heater
- Billet Heater Operator
- Box Annealer
- Burner
- Burner Machine Operator
- Carbonizer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- 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.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Production and Processing
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Multilimb Coordination
- Reaction Time
- Near Vision
- Manual Dexterity
- Problem Sensitivity
- Control Precision
- Static Strength
- Trunk Strength
- Information Ordering
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Relationships
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
- SAP software
Tools & Equipment
- Annealing furnaces
- Atmosphere furnaces
- Automated salt bath furnaces
- Batch type hardening furnaces
- Bridge cranes
- Carbonitriding equipment
- Chain hoists
- Claw hammers
- Conductivity testers
- Continuous hardening furnaces
- Digital thermocouples
- Electronic hand trucks
- Exhaust gas collection systems
- Fiberglass gloves
- Finger protection gloves
Work Environment
- 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
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $35,260 |
| Median | $47,450 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $64,290 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 14,590
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $55,770
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $47,010
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $41,230
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $49,500
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
Median Salary: $47,060
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.