Career Overview
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.
Also Known As
- Central Melt Specialist
- Furnace Operator
- Melter
- Vacuum Melter
Alternate Job Titles
- Arc and Argon Oxygen Decarburization Melter (ARC and AOD Melter)
- Automatic Furnace Operator
- Backbreaker
- Bessemer Converter Blower
- Bessemer Converter Operator
- Bessemer Regulator
- Blade Bender Furnace Tender
- Blast Furnace Blower
- Blast Furnace Keeper
- Blast Furnace Operator
- Blast Furnace Tender
- Blower Operator
- Burner
- Burner Tender
- Cadmium Burner
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
- Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.
- Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.
- Record production data, and maintain production logs.
- Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.
- Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.
- Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Monitoring
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Near Vision
- Problem Sensitivity
- Reaction Time
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Selective Attention
- Information Ordering
- Multilimb Coordination
- Deductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Perseverance
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 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
Tools & Equipment
- Air gauges
- Anneal furnaces
- Argon purging systems
- Basic oxygen furnaces
- Blast furnaces
- Channel induction furnaces
- Chemical protection goggles
- Closed circuit television monitors
- Coal furnaces
- Control computers
- Conveyor belt systems
- Coreless induction furnaces
- Digital ammeters
- Digital thermometers
- Digital voltmeters
Work Environment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Exposed to Contaminants
- Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $38,760 |
| Median | $55,770 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $80,280 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 20,330
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
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Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $47,450
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
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Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
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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
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
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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.