Also called: Furnace Operator (Glass), Glass Melt Technician
Runs the furnace that melts sand, soda ash and recycled glass into a glowing liquid at about 1,500°C, nonstop for years.
You check the furnace's temperature and glass level, look through a peephole at the white-hot melt, and adjust gas and oxygen. You make sure the batch house is sending the right mix of sand and crushed bottles. If your furnace ever goes cold, it can be ruined.
Estimated from BLS furnace, kiln, oven and kettle operators in glass manufacturing.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school plus on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing slowly. Steady.
Medium risk for 10 years. Furnaces are computer-controlled, but crews still monitor and handle the hot, nonstop process.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at glass container and flat-glass plants or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Chemistry, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-9051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.