Smelter operator vs furnace operator

The differences between smelter 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 $32,894 average annual salary of a smelter operator.

The top three skills for a smelter operator include smelting, control room and end loaders. The most important skills for a furnace operator are math, basic math, and cranes.

Smelter operator vs furnace operator overview

	Smelter Operator	Furnace Operator
Yearly salary	$32,894	$35,972
Hourly rate	$15.81	$17.29
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	26,336	58,975
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Smelter operator vs furnace operator salary

Smelter operators and furnace operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Smelter Operator	Furnace Operator
Average salary	$32,894	$35,972
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $43,000	Between $29,000 And $44,000
Highest paying City	-	Rochester, NY
Highest paying state	-	New York
Best paying company	-	BWX Technologies
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between smelter operator and furnace operator education

There are a few differences between a smelter operator and a furnace operator in terms of educational background:

	Smelter Operator	Furnace Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 65%	High School Diploma, 55%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	-	-

Smelter operator vs furnace operator demographics

Here are the differences between smelter operators' and furnace operators' demographics:

	Smelter Operator	Furnace Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 95.5% Female, 4.5%	Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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	7%	7%

Differences between smelter operator and furnace operator duties and responsibilities

Smelter operator example responsibilities.

Manage work and heater logs, overtime budget, project delegation and PPE gear inventory.
Demonstrate ability to troubleshoot creatively, solve problems effectively, and make inform decisions while successfully guiding others through constant change.
Assist in the process of extracting CO2 gas from molten copper ore.

Furnace operator example responsibilities.

Lead and coordinate team in all aspects of operation in an aluminum blast furnace.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Operate ABB robotic cell by loading parts on fixtures to be weld together.
Maintain safety measures and PPE.
Complete minor touch ups with MIG welders.
Spray arc welding utilizing gas shield MIG.

Smelter operator vs furnace operator skills

Common smelter operator skills

Smelting, 52%
Control Room, 28%
End Loaders, 13%
Fork-Lift, 7%

Common furnace operator skills

Math, 9%
Basic Math, 9%
Cranes, 9%
Preventative Maintenance, 9%
Safety Procedures, 5%
Brazing, 5%