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The differences between press brake operators and furnace operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a press brake operator has an average salary of $36,359, which is higher than the $35,972 average annual salary of a furnace operator.
The top three skills for a press brake operator include calipers, tape measure and math. The most important skills for a furnace operator are math, basic math, and cranes.
| Press Brake Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $36,359 | $35,972 |
| Hourly rate | $17.48 | $17.29 |
| Growth rate | -5% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 57,264 | 58,975 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A press brake is a machine used to manipulate metal into various shapes and forms. Press brake operators manufacture tools, metal, and other pieces of equipment using a press brake to make punches, bends, and cuts into sheet or plate metal. These operators may have their own business, work in a factory setting, or other types of machinery shops.
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.
Press brake operators and furnace operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Press Brake Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Average salary | $36,359 | $35,972 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $45,000 | Between $29,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hartford, CT | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New York |
| Best paying company | Johnson Controls | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a press brake operator and a furnace operator in terms of educational background:
| Press Brake Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 51% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between press brake operators' and furnace operators' demographics:
| Press Brake Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 1.7% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 3% | 7% |