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The differences between furnace operators and mill operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mill operator has an average salary of $39,045, which is higher than the $35,972 average annual salary of a furnace operator.
The top three skills for a furnace operator include math, basic math and cranes. The most important skills for a mill operator are CNC, OSHA, and math.
| Furnace Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,972 | $39,045 |
| Hourly rate | $17.29 | $18.77 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 58,975 | 64,574 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A furnace operator records time and production data, adjusts thermostats, and observes a pyrometer to maintain the temperature between specified limits. The operators set furnace control to regulate the temperature and heating time. They measure the temperature of the products to determine the necessity for adjusting furnace temperature using thermal instruments and charts. Their duties include the removal of materials from the furnace using signals overhead crane operator and transfer it to the next station and open furnace doors. This process will allow them to admit slabs, sheet, plate, and coil to lower ingots and uncover soaking pits into them.
Mill operators are skilled employees who are responsible for operating and maintaining milling machines that grind materials such as rocks or chemicals at a milling facility. These operators must gather raw materials for production and assist with the inventory of all materials. They must operate a wide variety of equipment such as power saws, sanders, drill press, and basic hand tools while performing regular maintenance and troubleshooting on the milling machines. Mill operators must also attend safety meetings that are held weekly and monthly to ensure machine operators are following safety procedures.
Furnace operators and mill operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Furnace Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Average salary | $35,972 | $39,045 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $31,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Alaska |
| Best paying company | BWX Technologies | Freeport-McMoRan |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a furnace operator and a mill operator in terms of educational background:
| Furnace Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 49% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between furnace operators' and mill operators' demographics:
| Furnace Operator | Mill Operator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 92.5% Female, 7.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 16.0% Asian, 2.4% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |