Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
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.
- O*NET-SOC code
51-4051.00 - Preparation Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$54,430
Employment, U.S.16,780
Median hourly wage$26.17
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,200 | $46,080 | $54,430 | $62,810 | $74,470 |
By state (36)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,250 | $54,260 | 5.50 |
| Arizona | 490 | $59,830 | 1.40 |
| Arkansas | 490 | $39,920 | 3.51 |
| California | 280 | $58,310 | 0.14 |
| Connecticut | 60 | $50,510 | 0.34 |
| Florida | 700 | $49,780 | 0.65 |
| Georgia | 230 | $47,750 | 0.44 |
| Illinois | 590 | $51,020 | 0.90 |
| Indiana | 1,520 | $58,300 | 4.41 |
| Iowa | 330 | $57,030 | 1.94 |
| Kansas | 100 | $44,800 | 0.64 |
| Kentucky | 810 | $59,040 | 3.75 |
| Massachusetts | 240 | $58,480 | 0.60 |
| Michigan | 680 | $44,900 | 1.44 |
| Minnesota | 200 | $75,880 | 0.63 |
| Mississippi | 120 | $39,610 | 0.96 |
| Missouri | 200 | $55,480 | 0.64 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $52,800 | 0.52 |
| Nevada | 130 | $56,790 | 0.76 |
| New Hampshire | 60 | $46,380 | 0.79 |
| New Jersey | 150 | $75,020 | 0.32 |
| New Mexico | 60 | $50,260 | 0.69 |
| New York | 760 | $66,440 | 0.72 |
| North Carolina | 390 | $60,780 | 0.73 |
| Ohio | 1,790 | $55,080 | 2.99 |
| Oklahoma | 110 | $48,890 | 0.57 |
| Oregon | 400 | $64,410 | 1.89 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,230 | $55,910 | 1.89 |
| South Carolina | 290 | $44,160 | 1.18 |
| Tennessee | 730 | $57,490 | 2.06 |
| Texas | 600 | $46,670 | 0.39 |
| Utah | 330 | $60,510 | 1.77 |
| Virginia | 110 | $57,000 | 0.24 |
| Washington | 330 | $62,850 | 0.86 |
| West Virginia | 70 | $56,290 | 0.90 |
| Wisconsin | 540 | $48,260 | 1.71 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | Active Learning | 0.88 | 0.962 |
| Roof Bolters, Mining | Coordination | 1.25 | 0.958 |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Quality Control Analysis | 0.76 | 0.953 |
| Dredge Operators | Coordination | 0.87 | 0.952 |
| Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | Repairing | 0.87 | 0.950 |
| Printing Press Operators | Repairing | 0.87 | 0.948 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders, excluding software Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Operational databases | 5 of 20 | 19.2x |
| SAP software | 12 of 20 | 2.0x |
| Inventory control software | 3 of 20 | 8.7x |
| Microsoft Word | 17 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Email software | 4 of 20 | 0.7x |
| Microsoft Outlook | 12 of 20 | 0.9x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 4 of 20 | 0.3x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.00 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.12 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.25 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.25 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Production and Processing | 4.01 | 4.08 |
| Mechanical | 3.66 | 3.92 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.20 | 2.84 |
| Administration and Management | 3.17 | 3.72 |
| Education and Training | 3.00 | 3.53 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 2.81 | 2.46 |
| Chemistry | 2.76 | 2.91 |
| Mathematics | 2.74 | 3.11 |
| English Language | 2.63 | 2.58 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.60 | 2.90 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.58 | 1.85 |
| Physics | 2.46 | 2.63 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.34 | 1.61 |
| Computers and Electronics | 2.29 | 2.26 |
| Administrative | 2.27 | 2.19 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.25 | not rated |
| Design | 2.18 | not rated |
| Telecommunications | 2.09 | 1.52 |
| Transportation | 2.05 | 1.74 |
| Communications and Media | 1.94 | 0.91 |
| Psychology | 1.77 | 1.47 |
| Foreign Language | 1.68 | not rated |
| Law and Government | 1.64 | 0.85 |
| Building and Construction | 1.48 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.42 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.42 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.42 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.37 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.29 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.29 | 0.72 |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.20 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.02 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.02 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Control Precision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.75 | 3.25 |
| Near Vision | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 3.00 |
| Reaction Time | 3.62 | 3.25 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.62 | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | 3.38 | 3.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Information Ordering | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Static Strength | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Depth Perception | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Rate Control | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Response Orientation | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Oral Comprehension | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Visualization | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Category Flexibility | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Written Comprehension | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Speech Recognition | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Stamina | 2.75 | 2.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Written Expression | 2.75 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Number Facility | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Memorization | 2.50 | 2.00 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.38 | 1.75 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Originality | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Night Vision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.88 | 1.38 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.38 | 0.62 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Process control software
- Process safety management software
- Production tracking system software
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany, OR | 140 | 27.82 | Not available |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 120 | 18.02 | $40,050 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 190 | 14.72 | $77,560 |
| Reading, PA | 210 | 11.06 | $68,990 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | 180 | 10.51 | $56,550 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 240 | 8.78 | $85,370 |
| Birmingham, AL | 420 | 7.48 | $56,250 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | 100 | 5.70 | $55,080 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 130 | 5.23 | $46,380 |
| Toledo, OH | 150 | 4.88 | $48,410 |