Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,180 | $16.92 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $48,750 | $23.44 |
| Mean (average) | $50,450 | $24.26 |
| 90th percentile | $66,350 | $31.90 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 37 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,920 | $35,190 | $88,350 | 170 | 0.88 |
| Arizona | $50,660 | $39,740 | $73,920 | 160 | 0.53 |
| Arkansas | $37,590 | $32,610 | $52,110 | 200 | 1.68 |
| California | $50,150 | $42,950 | $69,670 | 770 | 0.47 |
| Colorado | $58,300 | $45,780 | $80,280 | 100 | 0.4 |
| Connecticut | $44,350 | $35,080 | $62,080 | 320 | 2.12 |
| Florida | $47,370 | $38,480 | $60,090 | 150 | 0.17 |
| Georgia | $44,050 | $36,960 | $65,660 | 250 | 0.56 |
| Illinois | $45,340 | $34,760 | $63,180 | 850 | 1.55 |
| Indiana | $46,860 | $32,090 | $63,380 | 990 | 3.45 |
| Iowa | $49,760 | $40,300 | $63,340 | 120 | 0.88 |
| Kansas | $47,500 | $38,110 | $77,930 | 50 | 0.39 |
| Kentucky | $47,090 | $37,150 | $63,660 | 340 | 1.87 |
| Louisiana | $35,180 | $31,500 | $49,100 | ||
| Maine | $45,590 | $38,670 | $60,890 | 40 | 0.66 |
| Massachusetts | $49,280 | $42,360 | $83,010 | 250 | 0.76 |
| Michigan | $50,560 | $40,790 | $61,990 | 1,190 | 3 |
| Minnesota | $41,100 | $38,230 | $57,050 | 90 | 0.33 |
| Mississippi | $46,630 | $31,410 | $74,090 | 80 | 0.72 |
| Missouri | $47,980 | $42,060 | $64,000 | 140 | 0.52 |
| Nebraska | $48,120 | $38,070 | $54,170 | 50 | 0.51 |
| New Hampshire | $52,250 | $42,980 | $70,720 | 90 | 1.49 |
| New Jersey | $49,640 | $37,700 | $74,340 | 440 | 1.14 |
| New York | $52,940 | $37,750 | $64,560 | 280 | 0.32 |
| North Carolina | $46,660 | $36,260 | $60,730 | 320 | 0.72 |
| Ohio | $52,880 | $39,550 | $70,770 | 1,040 | 2.09 |
| Oklahoma | $51,680 | $42,070 | $78,030 | 120 | 0.81 |
| Oregon | $60,280 | $44,420 | $82,070 | 240 | 1.34 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,800 | $37,770 | $63,890 | 1,520 | 2.78 |
| South Carolina | $46,750 | $37,550 | $58,140 | 290 | 1.38 |
| Tennessee | $54,930 | $39,980 | $59,210 | 670 | 2.26 |
| Texas | $41,690 | $24,440 | $76,160 | 1,450 | 1.14 |
| Utah | $47,860 | $37,820 | $68,950 | 90 | 0.59 |
| Virginia | $55,070 | $41,000 | $83,360 | 190 | 0.5 |
| Washington | $61,990 | $48,340 | $104,660 | 140 | 0.45 |
| West Virginia | $56,880 | $42,800 | $60,970 | 70 | 1.06 |
| Wisconsin | $49,100 | $42,300 | $62,990 | 470 | 1.78 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 1,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.6%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Machine Tool Technology/Machinist CIP 48.0501
- Machine Shop Technology/Assistant CIP 48.0503
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Word (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- SAP software (hot technology)
Transferable skills for career changers: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Equipment Maintenance, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination.
Common job titles: Batch Heat Treat Operator, Burner, Coating Line Worker, Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Operator, Heat Treat Technician, Heat Treater, Scarf and Anneal Operator.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The national median annual wage for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic was $48,750 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $35,180 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $66,350. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a growing career?
BLS projects employment of heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic to change -9.5% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Washington ($61,990), Oregon ($60,280), Colorado ($58,300). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.