How to become a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender

Official title: Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Also called: Annealing Operator, Dry Kiln Operator, Dryer Feeder, Evaporator Operator, Furnace Operator, Kiln Fireman, Kiln Operator, Lime Kiln and Recausticizing Operator, Oven Operator

Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.

Main tasks

• Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
• Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
• Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
• Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
• Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
• Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.
• Transport materials and products to and from work areas, manually or using carts, handtrucks, or hoists.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Batch-and-Furnace Operator.
• Apprenticeship: Firer, Kiln (Pottery & Porc).
• Apprenticeship: Kiln Operator (Woodworking).

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,040 a year The middle half earn $41,130 to $59,830.
• About 14,500 people work in this job now, and about 14,900 are projected by 2035. (+2.6%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cutters and Trimmers, Hand

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender?

Ways in include: Batch-and-Furnace Operator.

How much does a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,040 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $41,130 to $59,830.

Is a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 14,500 to about 14,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Batch-and-Furnace Operator.

Will AI change the work of a Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.