Production
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
Median pay
$43,530
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
1,700
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders: 28% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
- Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
- Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
- Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.
Also called: Anodizer · Clean in Places Operator (CIP Operator) · Filler Operator · Parts Cleaner · Sanitation Technician · Sanitation Worker · Sanitizer · Tub Wash Operator
Outlook and AI
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders held 16,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 16,800 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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