Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · SOC 51-4051

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenderss

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025U.S. metropolitan areas

Metro areas ranked by published median annual wage for metal-refining furnace operators and tenders. Areas where BLS suppressed the median are not ranked (2 such areas are excluded here). Higher medians often track higher living costs — this is a pay comparison, not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Top 25 of 59 metro areas

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders: metro areas with the highest published median annual wages, May 2025
#	Metro area	Median annual	Employment	Per 1,000 jobs
1	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$85,370	240	0.9
2	Utica-Rome, NY	$77,560	190	1.6
3	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$74,060	190	0.2
4	Reading, PA	$68,990	210	1.2
5	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$67,360	60	0.0
6	Cleveland, OH	$65,660	520	0.5
7	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$63,170	700	0.2
8	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$63,170	170	0.1
9	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$61,780	240	0.2
10	Huntsville, AL	$61,390	100	0.4
11	Pittsburgh, PA	$60,810	320	0.3
12	Salt Lake City-Murray, UT	$60,510	180	0.2
13	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$60,430	80	0.0
14	Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA	$60,020	80	0.9
15	Columbus, OH	$59,950	70	0.1
16	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$58,310	160	0.0
17	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$58,290	40	0.0
18	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$57,030	120	0.1
19	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$56,710	160	0.1
20	Youngstown-Warren, OH	$56,550	180	1.1
21	Birmingham, AL	$56,250	420	0.8
22	Canton-Massillon, OH	$55,080	100	0.6
23	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	$53,130	370	0.3
24	Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV	$52,230	80	0.1
25	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	$51,330	190	0.1

Full state and metro tables, the national distribution, and the pay map are on the Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders overview.

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.