Explore This Path

Metal & Plastic Heating Equipment Operator

💰 Earn $47K-$60K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 Month Training

📈 -9.5% Job Growth

Perfect for those who love working with high-tech heating equipment and precision.
Play a crucial role in strengthening and shaping metal and plastic products.
Utilize advanced thermal instruments to ensure quality and durability in materials.

What Metal & Plastic Heating Equipment Operators DoSet 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.

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.

Metal & Plastic Heating Equipment Operators Education, Salary, and Growth

Minimum EducationHigh School Diploma or GED

Career ProspectsRisky (Decreasing by 5% or more)

Training Time6 months to 1 year

Job Openings1,100 Annually

Median earnings

California Median

$50,150

Most earn within this range

median ▾

$47K25th percentile

$60K75th percentile

National Median

$48,750

Most earn within this range

median ▾

$41K25th percentile

$58K75th percentile

Only you can decide how much you need to earn — but knowing what it actually costs to live in your area can help. The Family Budget Calculator can guide you.

Is This Career Right For You?

YOU Like

Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

you value

Having support
Having freedom
Personal relationships

you are skilled in

Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Speaking
Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Active Listening

Go Deeper: Metal & Plastic Heating Equipment Operators Explained

Metal & Plastic Heating Equipment OperatorExplore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

How Do You Train for This Career?

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational SchoolA vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ Finish in 6 months - 2 years

Associate's DegreeAn associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.

🎓 College

⏱️ Finish in 2-3 years

Bachelor's DegreeA bachelor's degree typically results in increased knowledge about a variety of academic subjects, specialized knowledge in a focused field of study, and is considered the foundational qualification for many careers.

🎓 College

⏱️ Finish in 4-5+ years

ApprenticeshipAn apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ Finish in 2-5 years

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