Production
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
Also called: Anodizer, Clean in Places Operator (CIP Operator), Filler Operator, Parts Cleaner, Sanitation Technician, Sanitation Worker
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $44,310
- $21.30/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 230
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +3.5%
- 30 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
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,190 | $41,820 | $44,310 | $51,610 | $59,160 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
- Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
- Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
- Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
- Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
- Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
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 exposure13 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 12
- Language-model AIOE 13
- GPTs-are-GPTs 13
Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools might help a little with tracking gauges and settings. They do not handle chemicals, drain and refill tanks, or run the machines by hand. Massachusetts job numbers are projected to grow 3.5% from 2024 to 2034.
Likely to change
- Tracking gauges and temperature readings
- Keeping chemical and solution levels steady
Still relies on people
- Draining, cleaning, and refilling tanks
- Handling chemicals and starting machines safely
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
Setting controls for temperature and pressure and starting machines carries over to extrusion work. It pays $51,220 with moderate-term training.
- Pay difference
- +$6,910 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +3.9%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Safe work habits and examining workpieces carry over to welding. It offers higher pay ($63,770) and moderate-term on-the-job training.
- Pay difference
- +$19,460 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +4.2%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Safe handling of chemicals and machine operation carries over to coating and spraying machines. It pays $54,560 with moderate-term training.
- Pay difference
- +$10,250 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +3.4%
- 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.
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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.
Talk to a career coach