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
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders is a professional role in the Production job family, focused on Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders work. 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 ControlOperations MonitoringTime ManagementSpeakingMonitoringCritical 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 salary by industry
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
12,380 workers
$46,500
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
980 workers
$41,000
Wholesale Trade
550 workers
$44,000
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
300 workers
$61,500
Sectors 48 and 49 – Transportation and Warehousing
150 workers
$44,000
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
130 workers
$44,500
Other Services (except Public Administration)
110 workers
$42,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
40 workers
$50,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders pays 16% below the average across 105 roles in the Production job family (family average $55,000).
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 $55,000 across 105 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.
