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. Excludes “Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4191). 

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Employment Outlook	Growth Rate 2.2% Openings Per Year 29
Wages	Median Hourly $30 per hour Average Annual $60,660 per year
Education Needed	These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Occupations	Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders Crane and Tower Operators Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Logging Equipment Operators Machinists Rail Car Repairers Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing