Also called: Heat Treater, Furnace Operator
Heats and cools metal parts in furnaces under precise recipes so they become hard, tough or springy.
You load racks of gears into a furnace glowing at 1,600°F, then quench them in oil with a burst of flame and smoke. Later you test hardness with a machine that presses a diamond into the metal.
BLS heat treating equipment setters, operators and tenders; approximate.
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.
Shrinking (about -3% over 10 years).
Medium risk for 10 years. Computer-controlled furnaces handle recipes and logging; loading, monitoring and hardness testing still need people.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at heat-treating shops or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Chemistry, Shop class, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-4191.
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.