occupation · 51-4051 · detailed
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders — wages and employment
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $55,770 in the United States in May 2024, with 20,330 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders earned a median annual wage of $55,770 in the United States in May 2024, with 20,330 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $38,760 or less, the best-paid tenth $80,280 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $50,250 to $55,770, +11.0 %. The best-paying state is Indiana at $75,630; the lowest Mississippi at $38,370. Among metropolitan areas, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN pays the highest median, $86,300. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 20,330 | $55,770 | $57,290 | $38,760 | $46,550 | $65,070 | $80,280 | $26.81 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 20,870 | $50,250 | $54,340 | $37,180 | $44,080 | $63,820 | $82,530 | $24.16 | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $75,630 | 3,560 |
| Utah | $70,450 | 520 |
| New York | $64,350 | 750 |
| Iowa | $64,080 | 380 |
| Oregon | $62,320 | 280 |
| New Jersey | $62,130 | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $60,200 | 2,240 |
| Washington | $59,170 | 300 |
| California | $58,220 | 540 |
| Kansas | $57,470 | 110 |
| Louisiana | $57,070 | 150 |
| Connecticut | $56,870 | 40 |
| Missouri | $56,160 | 260 |
| Minnesota | $55,720 | 240 |
| Arizona | $54,550 | 490 |
| Illinois | $54,200 | 330 |
| Georgia | $51,400 | 200 |
| West Virginia | $51,150 | 140 |
| Ohio | $50,790 | 2,240 |
| Nevada | $50,590 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $50,100 | 690 |
| Tennessee | $49,810 | 1,190 |
| Florida | $48,980 | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $48,510 | 140 |
| Colorado | $48,150 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $47,980 | 590 |
| Alabama | $47,520 | 910 |
| New Hampshire | $46,960 | 50 |
| Nebraska | $46,760 | 80 |
| Michigan | $46,290 | 860 |
| Virginia | $46,120 | 100 |
| New Mexico | $45,990 | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $45,840 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $45,740 | 110 |
| Texas | $45,170 | 560 |
| North Carolina | $43,720 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $40,220 | 430 |
| South Carolina | $39,780 | 290 |
| Mississippi | $38,370 | 130 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $86,300 | 2,240 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $73,500 | 200 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $71,740 | 170 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $71,000 | 240 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $66,370 | 150 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,360 | 60 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $65,380 | 90 |
| Cleveland, OH | $63,030 | 370 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $62,770 | 50 |
| Reading, PA | $61,350 | 430 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $60,210 | 800 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | $58,550 | 200 |
| Huntsville, AL | $57,360 | 120 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $57,340 | 130 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $55,740 | 220 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $55,460 | 50 |
| Youngstown-Warren, OH | $51,920 | 140 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $51,460 | 330 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $51,400 | 110 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $51,400 | 110 |
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