Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay in the U.S.
$50,940avg. a year
$24.49 an hour · 14,280 employed
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in the U.S. earn an average of $50,940 a year and a median of $48,040. Pay is highest in Wyoming ($71,130) and lowest in North Carolina ($40,570).
$48,040Median pay
$24.49Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
14,280Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
150 jobs
Wyoming
$71,130
$34.20 an hour
2240 jobs
Kentucky
$70,450
$33.87 an hour
3100 jobs
Maryland
$63,660
$30.61 an hour
4210 jobs
Kansas
$60,340
$29.01 an hour
5230 jobs
Illinois
$59,960
$28.83 an hour
6430 jobs
Washington
$57,160
$27.48 an hour
770 jobs
North Dakota
$56,710
$27.26 an hour
8120 jobs
Massachusetts
$56,400
$27.12 an hour
9120 jobs
Idaho
$55,990
$26.92 an hour
10100 jobs
Colorado
$55,420
$26.65 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $48k$48k–$52k$52k–$55k$55k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,690 | $28.70 |
| Birmingham, AL | $59,630 | $28.67 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $57,720 | $27.75 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,750 | $27.28 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $52,600 | $25.29 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $52,250 | $25.12 |
| Columbus, OH | $52,020 | $25.01 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $51,930 | $24.96 |
Related jobs
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$53,450
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$44,590
- Production Workers, All Other$44,380
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators$54,320
- Helpers--Production Workers$41,120
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$52,620
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $54,500 | $50,600 | 1,090 |
| Arizona | $43,630 | $44,530 | 140 |
| Arkansas | $47,160 | $43,560 | 150 |
| California | $47,960 | $45,300 | 900 |
| Colorado | $55,420 | $55,770 | 100 |
| Florida | $43,930 | $42,400 | 350 |
| Georgia | $52,890 | $50,820 | 870 |
| Idaho | $55,990 | $57,690 | 120 |
| Illinois | $59,960 | $62,870 | 230 |
| Indiana | $53,890 | $48,770 | 650 |
| Iowa | $48,150 | $45,910 | 100 |
| Kansas | $60,340 | $62,350 | 210 |
| Kentucky | $70,450 | $75,620 | 240 |
| Louisiana | $50,970 | $47,820 | 120 |
| Maine | $52,480 | $48,060 | 70 |
| Maryland | $63,660 | $77,440 | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $56,400 | $53,300 | 120 |
| Michigan | $47,900 | $47,410 | 420 |
| Minnesota | $53,420 | $47,210 | 100 |
| Mississippi | $43,460 | $44,370 | 370 |
| Missouri | $51,540 | $49,470 | 270 |
| Montana | $49,250 | $53,250 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $42,950 | $41,650 | 100 |
| New Hampshire | $52,330 | $49,250 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $54,490 | $52,440 | 300 |
| New York | $54,510 | $49,280 | 490 |
| North Carolina | $40,570 | $39,310 | 530 |
| North Dakota | $56,710 | $60,170 | 70 |
| Ohio | $48,170 | $46,190 | 1,580 |
| Oklahoma | $43,390 | $42,970 | 370 |
| Oregon | $53,970 | $50,820 | 540 |
| Pennsylvania | $52,260 | $49,610 | 410 |
| South Carolina | $48,210 | $48,170 | 300 |
| South Dakota | $52,150 | $48,200 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $46,800 | $44,710 | 640 |
| Texas | $49,190 | $45,040 | 780 |
| Utah | $49,100 | $45,610 | 130 |
| Vermont | $51,200 | $52,560 | 50 |
| Virginia | $52,050 | $49,650 | 260 |
| Washington | $57,160 | $58,580 | 430 |
| West Virginia | $47,760 | $45,690 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $54,540 | $56,140 | 210 |
| Wyoming | $71,130 | $62,130 | 50 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$44,940
380 jobsBirmingham, AL
$59,630
290 jobsCincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$49,080
270 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$52,600
270 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$48,530
250 jobsCleveland, OH
$48,300
230 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$51,930
220 jobsColumbus, OH
$52,020
220 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders make?
The average is $50,940 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $48,040 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $24.49, and the median is $23.10 an hour.
Which state pays furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders the most?
Wyoming, with an average of $71,130 a year. The best-paying metro area is Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN at $59,690.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $35,960 a year, and the top 10% earn over $69,800.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-9051. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.