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The differences between furnace operators and operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an operator has an average salary of $37,928, 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 an operator are safety procedures, CDL, and emergency calls.
| Furnace Operator | Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $35,972 | $37,928 |
| Hourly rate | $17.29 | $18.23 |
| Growth rate | -5% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 58,975 | 159,077 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| 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.
Operators are skilled workers who are in charge of working on an industrial machine or a specific aspect of the manufacturing business. They are trained to operate machines, learning how to use them. They are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of the machine, and they should be able to troubleshoot problems and provide remedies to them. They must be knowledgeable about the different parts of the machine and how to mitigate any challenges that may arise. Operators should be alert, detail-oriented, and familiar with safety and health guidelines.
Furnace operators and operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Furnace Operator | Operator | |
| Average salary | $35,972 | $37,928 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $44,000 | Between $27,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | North Dakota |
| Best paying company | BWX Technologies | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a furnace operator and an operator in terms of educational background:
| Furnace Operator | Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 55% | High School Diploma, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between furnace operators' and operators' demographics:
| Furnace Operator | Operator | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0% |
| 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, 16.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 2.5% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 4% |