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.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$52,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$4,500
8.7% of base
Total target cash
$57,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$2,50050th$4,50075th$7,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a professional role within the function in the Production job family.
Typical entry preparation: High School Diploma and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlSpeakingQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringActive Listening
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay by experience level
Entry level$36,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$42,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$50,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$60,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$68,500
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
-12.8%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,200
projected openings per year
Declining
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by industry
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
6,390 workers
$50,000
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities
3,220 workers
$51,500
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
2,480 workers
$46,500
Primary Metal Manufacturing
2,050 workers
$56,500
Machinery Manufacturing
1,660 workers
$51,000
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
1,580 workers
$59,000
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)
1,070 workers
$52,000
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
940 workers
$63,500
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing
630 workers
$56,500
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing
550 workers
$50,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $39,530 to $48,750.
+23.3% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$36,500
Early career25th percentile
$42,000
Median50th percentile
$50,500
Experienced75th percentile
$60,500
Top earners90th percentile
$68,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlSpeakingQuality Control AnalysisMonitoringActive Listening
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$52,500
2027$54,500
2028$56,000
2029$58,000
2030$60,000
2031$62,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
The median market pay for a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States is about $52,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Most Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay falls between about $42,000 (25th percentile) and $60,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $68,500.
What does a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic do?
Core responsibilities include: read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated; and record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times.
Is pay for Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $39,530 in 2020 to $48,750 in 2025, a change of +23.3% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 6% below the average across 112 roles in the Production job family (family average $56,000).
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
The average base salary for a Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States is $52,500 per year, or about $25.24 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $42,000 and $60,500 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.
Need Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
