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The differences between saw operators and furnace operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a furnace operator has an average salary of $35,972, which is higher than the $32,319 average annual salary of a saw operator.
The top three skills for a saw operator include tape measure, hand tools and basic math. The most important skills for a furnace operator are math, basic math, and cranes.
| Saw Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $32,319 | $35,972 |
| Hourly rate | $15.54 | $17.29 |
| Growth rate | 3% | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 58,465 | 58,975 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Saw operators are responsible for setting up and operating power saws to slot, cut, and trim metallic and non-metallic materials. They are the ones who choose and install blades on machinery using hand-tools and verify dimensions of finished material using measuring devices. They may perform additional tasks such as loading saws and monitoring sawing operations, and replacing damaged or worn saw blades. Saw operators are also responsible for recording data on production reports and assisting staff with the maintenance and repair of saw equipment.
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.
Saw operators and furnace operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Saw Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Average salary | $32,319 | $35,972 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $38,000 | Between $29,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, OR | Rochester, NY |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New York |
| Best paying company | Micro Metals Inc. | BWX Technologies |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between a saw operator and a furnace operator in terms of educational background:
| Saw Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 56% | High School Diploma, 55% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between saw operators' and furnace operators' demographics:
| Saw Operator | Furnace Operator | |
| Average age | 45 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 1.1% White, 65.3% 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 | 6% | 7% |