Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel.
16,780 people do this job in the US. $54,430 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 8%
- 0%
- 92%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 2%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 8%. Today's estimate: 8%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 15 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 15% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 33 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 9% | 21 min8 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear.Done daily by most who do it. | 8% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Record production data, and maintain production logs.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 7% | 13 min4 min to 25 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 13 min4 min to 33 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic20% now, 20% by 2028
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders10% now, 10% by 2028
- Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders6% now, 6% by 2028
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders11% now, 11% by 2028
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders5% now, 5% by 2028
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders14% now, 14% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing3,800 people
- Foundries3,670 people
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing3,020 people
- Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing2,420 people
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)610 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).