Also called: Furnace, Kiln, and Kettle Operators
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders build operations monitoring, operation and control and quality control analysis skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | 90% | $54,430 | +13% | None |
| 2 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 88% | $48,750 | +1% | None |
| 3 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | 86% | $46,350 | −4% | None |
| 4 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 85% | $41,220 | −14% | None |
| 5 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 84% | $50,140 | +4% | None |
| 6 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 83% | $46,550 | −3% | None |
| 7 | Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders | 82% | $44,810 | −7% | None |
| 8 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | 81% | $38,180 | −21% | None |
| 9 | Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers | 81% | $96,710 | +101% | None |
| 10 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 80% | $52,800 | +10% | None |
Compared with Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders, median $48,040. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $54,430 · +13% pay
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
88% skill match · $48,750 · +1% pay
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
86% skill match · $46,350 · −4% pay
Repairing · Equipment Selection · Troubleshooting
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (90% skill match, median $54,430), Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (88% skill match, median $48,750) and Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (86% skill match, median $46,350), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 14 pay more than furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+101%, $96,710), Gas Plant Operators (+83%, $87,820) and Locomotive Engineers (+69%, $81,410).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.