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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.

Also called: Annealing Operator, Dry Kiln Operator, Dryer Feeder, Evaporator Operator, Furnace Operator, Kiln Fireman

Median pay in Greater Boston
$48,130
$23.14/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
70
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+4.5%
20 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$38,610$46,170$48,130$63,170$74,550

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
  • Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
  • Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
  • Record gauge readings, test results, and shift production in log books.
  • Read and interpret work orders and instructions to determine work assignments, process specifications, and production schedules.
  • Examine or test samples of processed substances, or collect samples for laboratory testing, to ensure conformance to specifications.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure17 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 18
  • Language-model AIOE 23
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 11

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and little AI use has been seen so far. AI tools could help with watching gauges, spotting readings that are off, and keeping logs. Running the equipment, adjusting controls, and talking with supervisors about problems still depend on people.

Likely to change

  • Monitoring gauges for readings that drift
  • Recording readings and production in logs

Still relies on people

  • Adjusting controls on heating equipment
  • Talking with supervisors to solve problems

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    You already watch gauges and set controls like temperature. Extruding machine work uses the same skills and pays a bit more ($51,220).

    Pay difference
    +$3,090 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Maintenance and Repair Workers, General

    Spotting machine problems carries over to diagnosing malfunctions. This job offers higher pay ($59,670) and moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$11,540 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

    Knowing equipment and testing that it runs right carries over. This move offers much higher pay ($76,770) but needs long-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$28,640 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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