Home › Production › Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders › Kentucky
Data current as of August 2026 · sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET
Average base salary, Kentucky
$40,500 / year
≈ $3,400 per month · $19.47 per hour
BLS May 2025 state data for Kentucky · median $37,000
25th percentile
$34,500Average
$40,50075th percentile
$46,500
$34,500Average
$40,50075th percentile
$46,500
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders salary by state
Alabama$45,500
Arizona$43,500
Arkansas$40,000
California$48,000
Connecticut$42,000
Florida$40,000
Georgia$40,500
Idaho$39,500
Illinois$45,500
Indiana$45,000
Iowa$51,000
Kansas$42,500
Kentucky$40,500
Maine$62,000
Massachusetts$46,500
Michigan$46,000
Minnesota$45,500
Mississippi$39,000
Missouri$42,000
Nebraska$48,000
Nevada$44,500
New Hampshire$50,500
New Jersey$48,000
New Mexico$38,500
New York$49,000
North Carolina$43,500
North Dakota$49,000
Ohio$48,500
Oklahoma$44,500
Oregon$50,500
Pennsylvania$50,000
South Carolina$42,500
South Dakota$44,000
Tennessee$42,000
Texas$42,500
Utah$43,000
Virginia$51,500
Washington$47,500
Wisconsin$56,000
About this role
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenderss do
Typical education: High School Diploma
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
Top skills: Operation and Control Operations Monitoring Time Management Speaking Monitoring Critical Thinking
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders pay by experience level
Entry level$35,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$38,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$45,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$51,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$60,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.6%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,600
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders salary by industry
Food Manufacturing
6,710 workers
$46,000Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
2,120 workers
$42,500Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing
1,610 workers
$46,000Animal Slaughtering and Processing
1,510 workers
$42,500Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing
1,280 workers
$45,000Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
1,120 workers
$41,500Other Food Manufacturing
970 workers
$46,500Administrative and Support Services
860 workers
$40,000Employment Services
710 workers
$39,500Chemical Manufacturing
650 workers
$49,500National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders pays 18% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Similar-paying roles in Production
Food Batchmaker$45,500
Etchers and Engravers$48,000
Careers related to Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders make?
The average base salary for a Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders in the United States is $46,000 per year, or about $22.12 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $38,500 and $51,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $56,000 across 112 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role?
WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
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