Production
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.
Median pay
$48,750
Growth to 2035
−9%
declining
Openings a year
1,100
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
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 heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
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
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic: 56% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core 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.
Also called: Batch Heat Treat Operator · Burner · Coating Line Worker · Furnace Operator · Heat Treat Furnace Operator · Heat Treat Operator · Heat Treat Technician · Heat Treater
Outlook and AI
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic held 14,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 13,000 by 2035 (−9%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as improvements in robotics, CNC operated machinery, and other industrial equipment increase efficiency, allowing more output to be produced with the same amount of labor.
Compare with
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